Engaging the Eagle - Exploring U.S. Foreign Policy in Southeast Asia

The Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) is a track 1 intergovernmental security conference held in Singapore that gathers participants from across the region to discuss issues such as U.S. leadership in the Indo-Pacific. Though U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin did not meet Chinese Defence Minister Gen. Li Shangfu for substantive discussions, concerns about the relationship between Washington and Beijing...

When the Republican Party took control of the U.S. House of Representatives following the 2022 midterm elections, many observers expected the Republican Party and the White House to engage in a showdown over the debt ceiling. Beyond economic fallout and damage to U.S. prestige in Asia, a default could also have had serious consequences for Washington’s ability to commit to its foreign policy-relat...

As geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing increase, Washington’s credibility as a security presence and partner in Asia is under scrutiny. A hawkish stance that promotes military deployments would raise questions about Washington’s willingness to commit to a potential war in Asia. Converse, a dovish approach that cedes parts of Asia to China’s sphere of influence would severely damag...

Security and foreign policy observers in Southeast Asia have been abuzz about announcements surrounding the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) trilateral defence agreement, but reactions in Southeast Asia have been mixed. Some observers have fretted over the agreement auguring an Asian version of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO), while others have expressed concerns about the...

Described as a “critical swing state” by Kurt Campbell, Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs on the National Security Council, Vietnam has been increasingly viewed as a key partner for the U.S. due to its strategic location and their common interest in opposing Chinese maritime aggression. Yet, the relationship between Washington and Hanoi has ostensibly cooled over the past year, with no major vi...

The past few months have seen a flurry of activity in U.S.-Philippines ties. Under US President Joe Biden and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Washington and Manila are resuming and expanding security cooperation under the 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, or EDCA, which permits the U.S. to deploy conventional forces in the Philippines on a rotational basis. Cooperation is also...

After languishing during the Trump Administration, U.S.-Indonesia ties appear to be on an upswing. In August 2021, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi remarked during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that a “new era” of bilateral ties would be central to the establishment of a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Bilateral military cooperation and investments by U....