Roundtable: The Trump presidency and Southeast Asia.

• Jurisdiction: Singapore
• Date: 01 April 2017
• Author: Izzuddin, Mustafa

As in other parts of the world, Donald Trump's victory in the November 2016 US presidential election came as a major shock to Southeast Asia. Few observers had seriously countenanced a Trump win, and what it might mean for Southeast Asia, the wider Asia-Pacific region and the liberal world order. Many, perhaps most, had expected Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton to emerge as the victor, and thus, by and large, to see a continuation of the policies implemented by President Barack Obama, including his signature "pivot" to Asia, and Southeast Asia in particular. Regional shock quickly gave way to anxiety, even alarm. Given Trump's vitriolic rhetoric during the campaign, what would the new administration's approach be to regional security issues such as the South China Sea, ASEAN-led forums, defence and military diplomacy, and multilateral trading arrangements?

Shortly after Trump's victory, the editors of Contemporary Southeast Asia commissioned nine...