One of the most pressing foreign policy challenges that Singapore and the ASEAN countries face today and in the coming years is how to position themselves between the US and China as the geopolitical rivalry between the two superpowers intensifies. Most in Southeast Asia claim they would prefer not to have to choose between the two superpowers, but that position will become increasingly difficult to maintain as the US and China pressure states in the region to align with them. The session will address three key questions related to this strategic dilemma: What do the strategic alignments of the ASEAN-10 look like today? What explains their alignment choices? And what are the implications of the latter for Southeast Asia, the superpowers, and the region? Khong Yuen Foong, Li Ka Shing Professor of Political Science at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS, will present preliminary answers to these questions based on the findings of a Singapore Social Science Research Thematic Grant (SSRTG) project for which he is the Principal Investigator.
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