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Businessman Trump or bureaucrat Hillary- Who does Asia prefer?
US foreign policy goals in the five years since the “pivot to Asia” was introduced have been mired by China’s irritation at the US’ assertive stancein the South China Sea, the stalled Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the splintering of defense alliances. And the political volatility in the United States unleashed during the election is not assuaging the concerns of their Asian partners.
“US politics have accelerated the recognition by states in the region that it is going to become increasingly difficult for the United States to credibly maintain forward deployment as China’s capabilities expand,” said Samuels. “They are beginning to hedge visibly - Duterte in the Philippines, Najib in Malaysia. We should expect there will be more hedging as the balance of power shifts.”
“The biggest challenge facing the US is its own political landscape,” Dr. Gates Bill, Professor of Asia-Pacific Strategic Studies at Australian National University, told DW. “Political divisiveness will continue following the election.”
Read the full article Businessman Trump or bureaucrat Hillary- Who does Asia prefer? in Deutsche Welle.
