IP25041
Author: Adrian Ang U-Jin
Published on: 26 March 2025
The Trump administration’s withdrawal from its climate commitments and dismantling of USAID have not only jeopardised Southeast Asia’s energy transition but also US soft power, creating opportunities for China to expand its regional influence. Further, the administration’s tariff-heavy economic strategy threatens Southeast Asia’s trade-dependent economies and the open, multilateral rules-based system that has facilitated the region’s prosperity. However, this challenge presents an opening for ASEAN to shift from being passive consumers of public goods to active contributors towards a rules-based, inclusive, and cooperative regional order.
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The Romanian Institute for Europe-Asia Studies (IRSEA) and S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU have agreed to enter into an informal agreement on republishing their studies and analysis.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position or view of IRSEA.