As Jan-2025 approaches with Donald Trumpʼs possible White House comeback many South-east Asian nations face a mix of hope and worry. His Indo-pacific plans (which focus on pushing back against China) could bring big changes to the area
The Philippines and Vietnam stand to gain the most from this shift. Both countries deal with Chinas push into South China sea‚ and need help defending their waters. Ferdinand Marcos Jr wants more U.S support than his anti-American predecessor got during Trumps first term back in 17-21
- Malaysia worries about new trade rules
- Indonesia tries to stay neutral between big powers
- Singapore thinks it can work with both sides
- Thailand wants to avoid picking sides
Weʼve worked with the Trump administration before; Iʼm not so much concerned
Some countries like Cambodia Laos and Myanmar might see a chance to get closer to U.S — Trumps deal-making style doesnt focus much on democracy rules. Still his past attempts to fix ties with Cambodia showed its not that simple
The ex-president might keep working with groups like AUKUS and the Squad (which Beijing dont like). But theres doubt about how much heʼll care about ASEAN meetings; he only went to one summit in 17. His team should try harder this time to show they take the region serious