While the U.S. pays lip service to the notion that ASEAN is at the core of the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. actions show it is side-stepping to another direction. By contrast, China’s attitude toward Southeast Asia looks much more sincere.

The idea that ASEAN countries rely on the U.S. for security and on China for economy may be overstated. What is true is that they benefit from cooperation with China under the principle of mutual benefit and reciprocity, and they don’t want to rock the boat.

Southeast Asia’s coalition of small-to-medium sized nations have hosted superpower conflicts, yet they are overshadowed by larger regional powers on the global stage time and time again. American leadership will struggle to find welcoming allies there without a drastic upgrade in its dealings with ASEAN member nations.

The US’ absence at the recent East Asia Summit sent a powerful message to Southeast Asia, a region whose massive population, stellar economic growth, and strategic location would make it a crucial theater. The US may be able to recover, but it must act swiftly – and soon.

While ASEAN countries remain reliant on the United States for defense, they don’t want to be part of any U.S.-led encirclement of China because they fear their interests could be harmed and their neutrality challenged.

ASEAN’s best strategy for keeping China’s revisionist ambitions at bay and preserving maximum room for strategic maneuver is to engage the USA.

The negative consequences of U.S. involvement with Mekong countries are real but limited. The U.S. has the potential to continue to fuel tension over issues such as water resources in the region.

ASEAN realizes that geopolitical and geostrategic shifts taking place in the region will usher in both rewards and risks. But while being opportunistic, ASEAN knows the stakes are high should unbridled rivalry play out.

President Trump’s attendance at the recently concluded ASEAN Related Summits held in Manila suggests continued U.S. interest in a region touted as among the key engines of global economic growth and development. This is crucial as ASEAN celebrates its golden anniversary amidst fast changing regional dynamics.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang underscored the importance of free and open access to South China Sea, in a joint statement