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US-Asean relations

US-Asean relations
Breaking news and analysis on US-Asean relations, including trade, defence and diplomacy.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) looks on as President Donald Trump speaks at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

Malaysia’s Anwar to confront Rubio over US tariffs amid fears about 25% levy

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is attending an Asean summit – his first official visit to the region since Donald Trump’s return.

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Asean

Editorial | Transshipment clause in US-Vietnam trade deal cause for concern

Malaysia

Worried about China, US takes aim at Malaysia, Thailand in new AI chip crackdown

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Asean

Trump’s Vietnam tariff pact challenges Asean unity in key summit

Vietnam’s deal with the US leaves the rest of the bloc’s members more vulnerable to direct pressure from Washington, analysts say.

The Asean logo in front of Malaysia’s Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. Asean foreign ministers are meeting in the city from Tuesday to Friday. Photo: AFP
Vietnam

Vietnam breathes sigh of relief after Trump trade deal, but challenges remain

Under the new deal, US goods into Vietnam will not be taxed while Vietnamese exports will face a 20 per cent US tariff.

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Vietnam

Asian Angle | What the Vietnam war can teach us about Trump’s Asia policy

The Vietnam war ended 50 years ago. Its complex legacy offers context for Donald Trump’s global trade and security shake-up.

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US-China trade war

Explainer | How a clause in the US-Vietnam trade deal could upend Asia’s supply chains

The inclusion of a 40 per cent tariff on transshipped goods could ‘open up a can of worms’ for the whole region, analysts said.

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A worker stitches clothing at a garment factory in Vietnam. The United States has signed a trade deal with Vietnam that will impose 20 per cent tariffs on goods from the country. Photo: AFP
Asean

Can Rubio’s Asia tour ease region’s anxiety over looming US tariffs?

US secretary of state’s presence may offer symbolic reassurance but little else as deadline nears for trade talks, observers say.

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South China Sea

Opinion | How data-sharing can help defuse South China Sea tensions

A project to share maritime information could contribute to turning the region from a geopolitical flashpoint into a model for preventive diplomacy.

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Asean

Opinion | Cambodians don’t want to be a chess piece in the US-China rivalry

US tariffs are delaying progress on working conditions while border tensions with Thailand jeopardise the informal economy.

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Garment workers make clothes at a factory in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on December 17, 2021. Photo: Xinhua
Donald Trump

Crisis calculations: Trump’s America has Southeast Asia in a spin

Punitive tariffs and severe aid cuts are shaking the foundations of the US relationship with Asean, deepening a sense of ‘unreliability’.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
Malaysia

Malaysia’s Anwar: nobody can dictate how friendly we should be to US or China

The prime minister said that trade-reliant Malaysia was ‘pragmatic’ in its policies and open to all.

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US-China tech war

US pushes Vietnam to decouple from Chinese tech, sources say

Vietnam has been asked ‘to reduce its dependency on Chinese hi-tech’, say one of the people familiar with the discussions.

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Asean

Asian Angle | Trump tariffs challenge Asean’s unity and economic stability

As Trump’s tariff policies threaten Asean solidarity, the bloc should focus on regional trade to maintain stability and prevent division amid divergent responses.

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An Asean logo is displayed at the venue, ahead of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Langkawi Island, state of Kedah, Malaysia, on January 17. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-China relations

Opinion | Why US defence chief’s attack on China won’t find favour in Southeast Asia

The US is playing up the ‘China threat’ and wants allies in Asia to increase defence spending, but it may find this to be a hard sell.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Asean

Opinion | How Europe can be Southeast Asia’s hedge against US-China trade war

The region’s best bet might be to take its own side and develop greater trade and diplomatic relations with Europe.

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United States

Opinion | Asia is becoming more multipolar but not because of US decline

The Trump administration’s unclear foreign policy aims are prompting US partners to look beyond security alignment with Washington alone.

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China trade

Pressured by US tariffs, Chinese exports expand in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia

‘Exports are being diversified, bit by bit, and Southeast Asian countries are becoming more and more important trading partners,’ analyst says.

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Southeast Asian countries are becoming more important trading partners for China as it diversifies exports. Photo: Xinhua
Diplomacy

Opinion | Why democracy vs autocracy isn’t the definitive contest shaping the world

With unilateralism on the rise, the world is moving towards a situation where no power is willing to take on the mantle of global leadership.

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Diplomacy

Asian Angle | Trump, Hegseth, Rubio: a triple threat to global stability – and Asia

The Trump administration has abandoned diplomacy for tariffs and threats, fracturing alliances and leaving Asean caught in the crossfire.

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China trade

As US-China rivalry squeezes Asian markets, is taking sides even an option?

Analysts break down what the protracted power plays between Washington and Beijing mean for Asian economies as they walk a tightrope of risks vs rewards.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
Asean

Opinion | How Trump’s tariffs could benefit Asean in the long run

While the tariffs may undermine the bloc’s growth in the short term, they are spurring increased cooperation between member states and with others.

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Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivers a speech at the opening of the plenary session of the 46th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur on May 26. The bloc has proposed a summit between the leaders of its member states and US President Donald Trump. Photo: EPA-EFE
Diplomacy

Opinion | Triangular diplomacy a risky play for rising powers in a multipolar world

Triangulation offers ambiguity and flexibility, but countries embracing the Cold War tactic can easily fall prey to unseen traps, escalating instability.

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Asean

Opinion | Asean-GCC-China summit signals a redrawing of trade away from the US

The partnership offers a chance to reduce US reliance through new supply chains, trade agreements and regional production in critical sectors.

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Asean

Opinion | This moment in US-China rivalry is Asean’s chance to remake the bloc

Between a new trade deal with China and a potential audience with Trump, Asean has a chance to be the architect of a new regional order.

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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (centre) and other Asean heads of government, heads of state and representatives – including Xanana Gusmao (far right), the prime minister of incoming Asean member Timor-Leste – pose for a photo at the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur on May 26. Photo: Reuters
United States

Editorial | Solidarity best in face of US tariff tensions

Amid global uncertainty, China is strengthening economic ties with other leading trading partners such as members of Asean and the Gulf states.

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Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (right) gestures as he welcomes China’s Premier Li Qiang ahead of the Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. Photo: handout
Asean

Can Asean overcome Trump’s tariffs and become fourth-largest economy by 2045?

As Asean aims to be the fourth-largest economy by 2045, it must tackle internal trade barriers, US tariffs and improve regional integration.

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Asean

Malaysia’s Anwar urges Asean not to ‘sacrifice’ member states over US tariffs

His call at the Asean summit comes as the bloc agrees to widen trade links with the GCC and China to cushion the impact of US tariffs.

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