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US-Asean relations

US-Asean relations
Breaking news and analysis on US-Asean relations, including trade, defence and diplomacy.
Improved trade agreements between China and Asean members could help offset the impact of US tariffs. Photo: EPA
US-China trade war

China must ‘play the long game’ with trade partners as US bullies, analysts say

Moving beyond strongly worded warnings, Beijing is seen embracing a more pragmatic approach, steeling itself ahead of more talks with Washington.

US-China relations

US, China must find ‘correct way’ to get along, Wang tells Rubio

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US-China relations

Rubio-Wang meet, China GDP, Nvidia and more

Singapore

Is Singapore key for the US to fight against China as Tammy Duckworth says?

At a Senate hearing, Duckworth chides Anjani Sinha, Donald Trump’s pick as ambassador to Singapore, for his ignorance of the city state.

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US Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth says Singapore is “one of the most important” friends of the US in the Indo-Pacific. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
United States

Rubio, Lavrov discuss ‘new idea’ on Ukraine at Asean meet in Malaysia

The US Secretary of State met the Russian Foreign minister in Malaysia and expressed disappointment about Ukraine, while Lavrov offered a new idea for peace.

Asean

Rubio assures Malaysia has more time to negotiate US tariffs, Anwar says

Rubio reiterates to Anwar that Malaysia remains an important US partner and Washington is keen to boost cooperation with Asean.

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Singapore

‘Do some homework’: Trump’s Singapore ambassador pick fails Senate grilling

Anjani Sinha has drawn online backlash for fumbling his responses to Thai-American Senator Tammy Duckworth.

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Anjani Sinha at his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Photo: C-Span
China trade

‘Whatever they do is wrong’: Chinese exporters trapped by Trump’s Asean tariffs

‘Every investment is a gamble’, and Chinese factories face ‘huge losses’ by operating in Southeast Asian countries facing Trump’s tariffs, according to industry insiders.

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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

Given how intertwined Chinese products are in regional supply chains, an expansive US definition of transshipment could be highly disruptive.

Workers number fabric at a garment factory in Vietnam’s Thai Nguyen Province on July 2. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

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

The Trump administration is targeting the two Southeast Asian nations to block a suspected back door into China for advanced Nvidia chips.

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The Trump administration plans AI chip export controls to Malaysia and Thailand amid China smuggling concerns. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

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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Huey helicopters carrying US troops land in Vietnam in August 1965. Photo: AP
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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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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A woman uses her smartphone in a coffee shop in Hanoi. Photo: AFP
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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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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Illustration: Craig Stephens
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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