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International Center / Full Report
According to the Nikkei Asian Review, with US President Trump leaving office soon, Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia have recently been looking to strike new economic and security deals with the United States, hoping to take advantage of the benefits of Trump’s “transactional diplomacy.” Opportunity. In addition, these countries are also concerned that the administration of future US President Biden will pay special attention to issues such as human rights and democratic values, which will be disadvantageous to them.
▲ Southeast Asian countries, such as the Philippines and Indonesia, have recently sought to reach new economic and security agreements with the United States. (Image / Facebook flip of Trump)
The report noted that when Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller visited the Philippines in early December last year, he announced the transfer of $ 29 million worth of military equipment to the Philippines, including sniper rifles and anti-IEDs. improvised explosives). Also known as homemade bombs), Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed his gratitude to Washington for “helping us protect our country from foreign threats.”
▲ The United States announced in early December last year that it would deliver $ 29 million worth of military equipment to the Philippines. (Photo / Associated Press / Dazhi Video)
When the White House National Security Advisor O’Brien visited the Philippines in November last year, he also announced a donation of defense materials worth $ 18 million, including precision guided missiles (PGMs), to help to the Philippines to combat Islamic State (IS) terrorism in East Asia.
Additionally, Chief Executive Officer Adam Boehler, an independent foreign aid agency established by the US government, also signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) in November last year, agreeing to submit an application to the Indonesian Investment Authority. or the sovereign wealth of Indonesia. The fund invests $ 2 billion. The Indonesian president’s close ally and Minister of Marine Affairs and Investment Coordination Luhut Pandjaitan went to Washington to attend the signing ceremony and went to the White House to meet with Trump.
▲ Analyzed by the Japanese media, these countries worry that Biden values human rights, democratic values, and other issues, which will be to their disadvantage. (Photo / Obtained from Biden’s Facebook)
The report noted that since Trump considers himself a “negotiator” and focuses more on bilateral transactions in international relations than on traditional methods, many Southeast Asian countries believe this can be used to promote security and economic cooperation between the United States and himself. . Washington agreed last fall to continue extending the Generalized Preferential Tariff System (GSP) for Indonesia to ensure Indonesia is on the same front with the United States on the South China Sea issue against the expansion of China’s maritime power. Although Trump appears to have a “lack of interest” in Southeast Asia and the “East Asia Summit” is often missed, Southeast Asian countries have gained many opportunities to do business with the United States during Trump’s tenure.
