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US-Asean relations

US-Asean relations
Breaking news and analysis on US-Asean relations, including trade, defence and diplomacy.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (centre, left) with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and other officials at the Asean-GCC-China Summit in Kuala Lumpur on May 27. Photo: Reuters
Asean

Asian Angle | Why Malaysia seeks enduring Asean-GCC-China cooperation

Malaysia’s history as a global bridge drives this new trilateral forum, mirroring historical trade routes from China to the Middle East.

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US-China trade war

US agrees deals with Indonesia, Philippines – but are Chinese firms a step ahead?

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US-China trade war

Chinese firms urged to deepen Asean roots as US cracks down on transshipments

Asean

Opinion | US ‘lone wolf’ doctrine in Southeast Asia cedes ground to China

Rather than viewing Beijing’s regional inroads as setbacks, Washington seems more than happy to weaken once-cherished bonds with allies.

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Illustration: Stephen Case
Asean

Opinion | As trade deals show, the US now seeks rent from Asean, not partnership

If Washington keeps treating Asean as a cash register, it will accelerate what it fears: a pivot towards China.

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Asean

Asean-GCC economic axis: the Global South’s answer to US volatility?

The two blocs’ emerging alliance looks to leverage each other’s strengths to buffer both regions from tariffs and US-China trade tensions.

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Asean

Opinion | How China’s pragmatic balancing puts it in Asean pole position

Prioritising Asean’s needs over ensuring reciprocity has given China a level of credibility the US lacks amid Trump’s trade tirades.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
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

On Asean sidelines in Kuala Lumpur, US secretary of state says odds of presidents Xi and Trump meeting this year are high.

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US-China relations

Rubio-Wang meet, China GDP, Nvidia and more

This week: Marco Rubio meets Wang Yi, Donald Trump revives tariff war, EU seeks to reduce reliance on China. Next week: China’s economy may slow, Nvidia’s Huang in China, Australian PM discusses Port Darwin and more.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Photo: AFP
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.

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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People relax at the jetty near the container cargo port on Wednesday as a container cargo ship passes by in Myanmar, which US President Donald Trump has threatened with a 40 per cent tariff. 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

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

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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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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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