28 Jul SIIA Chairman Simon Tay on “US Next President: An ASEAN Perspective” (CNA Insight)
Should countries in ASEAN rely on Donald Trump to bring about economic prosperity and regional stability or should their future be better served under Hillary Clinton?
SIIA Chairman Simon Tay appeared on Episode 17 of Channel NewsAsia’s Insight, a weekly programme on topical issues of the day. Last week’s episode on 28 July 2016 and other previous installments can be viewed at the Channel NewsAsia website, or in the embedded video. Text excerpts of Prof Tay’s comments are also available below.
The Vietnam War and its impact on Asia
Prof Tay: Americans have really played an important role in that critical part – the Vietnam War. As the late Lee Kuan Yew assured Americans, even though they felt they lost the Vietnam War, in fact it was won. By providing that ballast, and that delay, to buffer Vietnam for that period, by the time they finally withdrew from Vietnam, the remaining countries along the peninsula were stable enough, were strong enough. History has shown that we succeeded.
Hillary Clinton and the Pivot to Asia
Prof Tay: Clinton after all was the first Secretary of State for Obama, and really emphasised that pivot. I was actually in America, in New York, when she gave that first speech as Secretary of State, at the Asia Society, and said – I’m going to Asia first.
Donald Trump’s foreign policy
Prof Tay: And if Trump tries to bring back a unilateral America – but compared to the Bush presidency, a weaker America – he might frustrate himself, he might frustrate Americans abroad, he might start to antagonise even many of his friends here in Asia.
Photo Credit: Channel NewsAsia