Security Studies Program
IINA: US-ASEAN Relations under Trump 2.0: Concerns Outweigh Expectations
Following Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election of November 5, 2024, attention has focused on who will serve in his second-term cabinet to be launched in January 2025, as well as on the administration's policies, including foreign policy. Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recognize they may be greatly affected by Trump's hardline stance toward China, his claims to quickly end the war in Ukraine, his expected emphasis on striking bilateral trade "deals," and his demands that allies share a bigger defense burden.
By Tomotaka Shoji, Director, Regional Studies Department National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS)