Trump Is Alienating Southeast Asia

Tariffs and inattention have pushed regional states toward China.

Heads of state listen to U.S. President Donald Trump's opening remarks at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 26. November 7, 2025, 9:08 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit went as well as one could hope. Trump struck a positive tone from the start, dancing on the red carpet that greeted his arrival.

But the bigger picture remains alarming. Under the second Trump administration, the United States is quickly burning through the goodwill and support it has in the region. Trump’s unilateral tariff

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