Trump’s presence at ASEAN summit was more than ceremonial – it was a signal that SE Asia is central to America’s Indo-Pacific vision
David A Merkel
Donald Trump's participation at the recent ASEAN summit in Malaysia was more than symbolic. Image: X Screengrab
US President Donald Trump’s six-day tour of Asia, his longest foreign trip of his second term, was more than symbolic.
His attendance at the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in South Korea and his first bilateral talks with Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, marked a defining moment for Washington to reaffirm its Indo-Pacific strategy amid intensifying great power rivalry.
The Indo-Pacific has entered a new era of turbulence. China’s maritime assertiveness, economic coercion, and technological competition are reshaping regional dynamics. For smaller Southeast Asian states, these shifts highlight ASEAN’s enduring claim to “centrality” as a diplomatic hub designed to give its members autonomy and insulation from great power pressure.
That centrality is exercised through ASEAN-led forums, including the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum, which bring together the United States, China, Japan, India, and others. ASEAN members continue to hedge, engaging both Washington and Beijing, and even participating in both US and China-led naval exercises, underscoring their determination to avoid choosing sides in the deepening US-China rivalry.
ASEAN’s consensus-driven decision-making, however, limits its ability to respond collectively to Beijing’s coercive tactics. China’s water cannon-wielding maritime militias, economic blackmail, and debt-trap diplomacy have tested ASEAN unity. Internal divisions often exploited by Beijing make it difficult for the bloc to take united positions on timely issues, including the South China Sea and digital governance.
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