UNITED STATES-SOUTHEAST ASIA RELATIONS

The new US administration of Mr Barack Obama will inherit a relationship with Southeast Asia that is generally stronger -- both at the bilateral level and the ASEAN/regional level -- than is often portrayed both in regional capitals and in Washington DC US-Southeast Asia relations are not irritant o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Regional outlook. Southeast Asia 2009-01, p.10
Main Author: Limaye, Satu P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Changes
Cooperation
International relations-US
Presidents
Public policy
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The new US administration of Mr Barack Obama will inherit a relationship with Southeast Asia that is generally stronger -- both at the bilateral level and the ASEAN/regional level -- than is often portrayed both in regional capitals and in Washington DC US-Southeast Asia relations are not irritant or problem-free. Three structural changes in US-Southeast Asia relations are especially promising. First, the asymmetry in US engagement with maritime and mainland Southeast Asia, a function of history including the Vietnam War and communist takeovers, is being reduced. A second important gain has been US efforts to cooperate with ASEAN as an organization as it moves towards implementing its goal of becoming a political, security and cultural community by 2015. A third underlying positive change has been the favorable calibration of competing factors that drive US policy towards Southeast Asia. Given US domestic and foreign policy priorities, immediate and favorable decisions on these policy directions would be a surprise.
ISSN:0218-3056