Articles by William Choong

With us or invisible: The dangerous simplicity of America’s Asia policy

At his maiden Shangri-La Dialogue outing, the US defence secretary laid out a stark and demanding vision for the region’s security. ASEAN and much of Southeast Asia did not feature in it.

Hoang Thi Ha

Trump 2.0: What’s in store for Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia is unlikely to be a priority in Trump’s foreign policy agenda, but the region will need to strategise its response to the president-elect’s trade and security stances, and his transactional approach.

Hoang Thi Ha

Southeast Asia’s middle power strategy in US-China rivalry

Southeast Asia can expect regional tensions to rise amid growing Sino-US competition. To preserve regional stability, Southeast Asian countries should work more closely with middle powers outside this region.

Lee Sue-Ann

UK and the Indo-Pacific: Get real about progressive realism

The UK might be scaling down its footprint into the Indo-Pacific. This is a bad idea.

William Choong

Southeast Asian perceptions of China: Beijing’s growing power is recognised, but feared

Data from a multi-year trend analysis of Southeast Asian perceptions of China suggest that the region remains apprehensive about China’s growing power and influence. Yet in the face of greater uncertainty over the future of the US’s leadership role in the region, the preference has been to try to keep the peace with China.

Lee Sue-Ann

Japan's arms transfers to Southeast Asia: Upping the ante?

Japan's new Official Security Assistance (OSA) scheme would help arm regional countries in the face of growing Chinese assertiveness. A lesser-known aspect of OSA might actually bring some serious military capabilities to the region in the future.

William Choong

China-US high-level dialogues: A welcome uptick but a long road ahead

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's recent meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington indicates that high-level exchanges between the two powers are gaining momentum. But there is still a long way to go.

William Choong

South Korea's 'global pivotal state' ambition is a tall order

South Korea has far-reaching geopolitical ambitions but focusing on the regions closest to it will bring more dividends in a competitive world.

William Choong

Southeast Asians mull over a Taiwan conflict: Big concerns but limited choices

In the event of hostilities in the Taiwan Strait, Southeast Asian countries will face a difficult dilemma. Their latitude for manoeuvre will be limited, particularly as the Philippines, a key ASEAN member and a US treaty ally, prepares to provide base access to the US in such a contingency.

William Choong

US pivot to Asia: Managing relationship with China crucial

While the Americans have made noticeable progress in their "pivot" to Asia, the crux of successful regional engagement rests on Washington's ability to work with and around China's indisputable links and influence in this part of the world, while managing its own relationship with Beijing.

William Choong

A Xi-Biden handshake does not bridge the Sino-US schism, but it's a start

The handshakes and smiles in Bali have triggered some optimism about Sino-US relations going forward. Yet the slight uptick in Sino-US relations post-Bali might well be short-lived, given the superpowers' underlying structural competition and deep mutual distrust.

Hoang Thi Ha

The UK's 'tilt' towards the Indo-Pacific may not be sustainable

The UK has launched a robust "tilt" towards the Indo-Pacific. To its credit, it has executed a series of high-profile diplomatic engagements and military deployments to the region. The question, however, is not about London's desire to engage with the dynamic region but whether this tilt can be sustained.

Joanne Lin