TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

INSIGHT: Should Washington rearm Southeast Asia against China?

Now that the US has pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Trump’s penchant for bilateralism is likely to marginalize ASEAN, rearming regional countries to deter or contain China could be the dominant engagement policy.

Evan A. Laksmana (The Jakarta Post)
Premium
Seattle
Wed, February 8, 2017

Share This Article

Change Size

INSIGHT: Should Washington rearm Southeast Asia against China? A Vietnamese protester showing a map of the South China Sea marked with "No!" participates in a rally against China near the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, July 24. (AP/Ahn Young-joon)

There is no single problem with United States President Donald Trump’s two week-old presidency. There are plenty.

Not least of which has been how his advisors’ ideologically distorted worldviews drive United States foreign policy. Think of the recent chaotic immigration policies or the cavalier alliance management moves.

The melee notwithstanding, both the Republican-controlled House and Senate as well as the White House seem to agree that former president Barack Obama’s “rebalance” to Asia has emboldened China and damaged American interests. In response, they believe, the US should beef up its military presence and re-arm its partners and allies to push back against China.

Most recently, Senator John McCain, head of the Senate’s Armed Services Committee, proposed US$7.5 billion of new funding for US forces and their Asian counterparts. The funds would go to new military construction, such as runways in Australia and the Philippines, munitions procurement and capacity building of and exercises with allies and partners. Reuters quoted a Trump official arguing that the proposal was “very much in general alignment with the administration’s goals in the region.”

This proposal might be an expanded version of Obama’s Southeast Asia Maritime Security Initiative launched by then defense secretary Carter in 2015 (although it was suggested by McCain). This initiative committed roughly $425 million over five years to strengthen the maritime capabilities of the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Now that the US has pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Trump’s penchant for bilateralism is likely to marginalize ASEAN, rearming regional countries to deter or contain China could be the dominant engagement policy.

For Southeast Asia, however, a rearmament strategy is flawed for two reasons.

to Read Full Story

  • Unlimited access to our web and app content
  • e-Post daily digital newspaper
  • No advertisements, no interruptions
  • Privileged access to our events and programs
  • Subscription to our newsletters
or

Purchase access to this article for

We accept

TJP - Visa
TJP - Mastercard
TJP - GoPay

Redirecting you to payment page

Pay per article

INSIGHT: Should Washington rearm Southeast Asia against China?

Rp 29,000 / article

1
Create your free account
By proceeding, you consent to the revised Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.
Already have an account?

2
  • Palmerat Barat No. 142-143
  • Central Jakarta
  • DKI Jakarta
  • Indonesia
  • 10270
  • +6283816779933
2
Total Rp 29,000
{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.