In a recent Japan Times piece, I wrote about how a second Trump term might affect Southeast Asian countries. Most importantly, former President Trump would likely force Southeast Asian governments to choose between China and the United States, a decision most of them, save possibly the Philippines, do not want to make. Yet Trump’s more rigid approach to China—and China’s tougher response to the United States—may make the long-standing Southeast Asian practice of balancing between the superpowers no longer possible. This delicate balance involves deriving increasing trade and…
