Southeast Asia Is Not Ours to 'Lose'

The U.S. is a distant and unreliable partner, and it is likely to become even less reliable as our government fritters away its resources on more pointless illegal wars.

Derek Grossman observes that U.S. neglect of Southeast Asia has worsened under Trump:

Because showing up in Southeast Asia is more than half the battle when it comes to waging and winning the competition for influence. Washington, thus far, has shown relative disinterest in sustained high-level engagement, undermining its ability to compete with China. Without routine engagement, Southeast Asian countries become uneasy about U.S. commitments and tend to look elsewhere—such as to China—to fulfill their needs. To be sure, this is a problem that predates Trump, but it has become more pronounced during his tenure.

The U.S. could make more of an effort to engage with Southeast Asian countries, but its engagement has been so fitful and inconsistent over the decades that it has little to offer them. China is closer and more important to their economies, and that isn’t going to change. The U.S. is a distant and unreliable partner, and it is likely to become even less reliable as our government fritters away its resources on more pointless illegal wars.

Most Southeast Asian nations are probably relieved that they are not at the top of Washington’s agenda.