Going’s good in US-Asean relations... but Trump?

Disputed island: An aerial view of construction at Mabini (Johnson) Reef by China, in the disputed Spratley Islands, in the South China Sea. China has deployed two batteries of sophisticated surface-to-air missile launchers to a disputed island in the South China Sea, news reports said on Feb 17. Satellite imagery from ImageSat International showed two batteries of eight missile launchers on Woody Island, part of the contested Paracel Islands, media reported. – EPA

AMONG Asians, President Barack Obama will go down in history as the American President who did the most to have the US re-engage meaningfully with the Asia-Pacific.

Note that I use the word “re-engage” and not “rebalance” or “pivot” which may be an object of American policy interest, but is not the sum total of the US relationship with Asia-Pacific.