VIENTIANE: The United States presidential election in November is a likely topic of discussion when top diplomats from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meet in Laos this week.
This comes following a busy two weeks in US politics, with incumbent President Joe Biden dropping out of the race and an attempt on Republican nominee Donald Trump’s life.
With the near-death incident kickstarting a boost in popularity for the former president, Southeast Asian nations may need to prepare for a scenario where he is elected, experts said.
Trump will be more transactional than Biden, paying more attention to areas like trade surpluses or deficits, said Professor Joseph Liow, Tan Kah Kee Chair in comparative and international politics at Nanyang Technological University.
This would mean that countries like Singapore would be in the “safe zone” because it has a trade deficit with the US. However, countries like Vietnam will be confronted with a dilemma, he said.
“On the one hand, there is a realisation that there is strategic value and purpose in improving the relationship between the US and Vietnam from both perspectives,” he said.
“On the other hand, Vietnam has a fairly large trade surplus with the US.”
