- EURASIAREVIEW.COM - A la une - 14/Jul 16:45

United States Directs Bigger Tariff Bazooka Against ASEAN – OpEd

"Across the world, tools once used to generate growth are now wielded to pressure, isolate and contain." Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim opening ceremony of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting  https://www.pmo.gov.my/2025/07/opening-address-by-yab-prime-minister-for-58th-asean-foreign-ministers-meeting-2/ The public relations angle in the website of The U.S. Secretary of State and Western media foreign affairs and business news coverage of Marco Rubio’s current visit to Southeast Asia noted that his mission was to Reaffirm U.S. commitment to the Indo-Pacific by countering skepticism about Trump's "America First" approach and to show that the U.S. views the region as central to American interests and national security Bolster security ties and boost anti China sentiment, particularly on the South China Sea disputed issues Promote the U.S. as an economic partner and a better alternative to China for investment and growth In his initial remarks on meeting with counterparts from countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Rubio said “We’ve been engaged for a very long time, We have strong partnerships we have no intention of abandoning, but rather strengthening and building upon.” From most accounts, he was not convincing or successful. Rubio and Trump: An Uneasy Relationship Everyone in the high places of U.S. foreign affairs knows that Rubio as Secretary of State does not have the full confidence or support of President Trump for personal reasons. Their rocky relationship goes back a long time with Rubio’s denunciations of Donald Trump prominently displayed during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries. Rubio at that time criticized Trump's foreign policy understanding, called him a "touchy and insecure guy" and stated Trump "doesn’t know anything about policy". Rubio also quipped "You know where Donald Trump would be if he hadn’t inherited $200m? Selling watches in Manhattan" and he publicly warned voters, "friends do not let friends vote for con artists," directly targeting Trump's credibility. Rubio has since eaten humble pie and made peace with Trump. Though rewarded with a plum and powerful position in the U.S. administration, his role has been constrained by competing power centers in Washington, ideological shifts, and his own apparent lack of alignment with Trump's agenda. This is clearly seen in his being bypassed in the appointment of Special Envoys such as Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, who has handled high-stakes negotiations (e.g., Gaza ceasefires, Russia-Ukraine talks) while Rubio has been sent to work on less challenging assignments. At the same time, key decisions (e.g., tariffs on allies, public rebukes of Zelensky) originate from Trump and Vice President Vance. Rubio was visibly sidelined during the publicly disastrous Zelensky meeting with descriptions of him as passive and "slumped" on a couch during the meeting. Mediocre Diplomatic Appointments Meanwhile Rubio has been left in the cold in the various ambassadorial appointments made by Trump in the countries that the U.S. wants to see its flag flying higher. This includes the latest appointments to Malaysia and Singapore with foreign policy analysts from leading U.S. supportive media and independent commentators from social media panning the two nominations. That to Singapore is a former physician specialising in orthopaedics and sports medicine and having no experience in diplomacy, whilst that to Malaysia is notorious for being a self described alpha male as well as for other acts of publicly seeking sensationalism. The qualifications that Nick Adams and Dr. Anjani Sinha bring to their appointments appear to be their lack of familiarity or expertise with their assigned countries and their efforts at putting President Trump up on a special pedestal. They prove that political sycophancy can be rewarding. See: https://youtu.be/mPLgKaMmjL0?si=GZosuevIbACKj5lw https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSBQpNcft Apart from marginalized political and mediocre diplomatic leadership, the biggest obstacle to the State Department and Rubio's efforts to persuade the governments in South East Asia of the U.S. good intentions is the large and growing credibility gap between its rhetoric and action. US foreign policy is driven by political inconsistency, economic engagement that sees the region as a competitor or even liability and enemy, and a fixation on the China threat overshadowing all other considerations. It is telling that at the same time when Rubio is trying to reassure that the U.S. is an enduring economic partner and a more dependable alternative to China, and while suggesting that ASEAN countries might receive better tariff rates, Trump was announcing higher tariffs on several ASEAN countries, including Malaysia. ASEAN officials and member countries remember the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) during Trump’s first administration as abandoning economic leadership in the region. They are also fully aware that the U.S.focus is not on Southeast Asia but on other regions and global crises (Ukraine, Middle East) and that ASEAN is only a concern when countering China as the immediate goal. Reminder Of ASEAN Foreign Policy And Economic Interests Rubio's State Department staff would do well to advise him of the following concerns of ASEAN countries when reviewing the outcome of his shortened time in Southeast Asia and before pitching any future policy ASEAN nations do not want to be used as pawns in a great power game that they see as contrary to their multipolarity principles ASEAN values its "centrality". U.S.-led initiatives such as the Quad (U.S., Japan, India, Australia), AUKUS (U.S., U.K., Australia) and Taiwan related initiatives are not only not helpful but constitute a threat to this centrality ASEAN nations will act strongly to safeguard their autonomy and non-alignment.  U.S. pressure for member countries to "choose sides" between the U.S. and China is counterproductive, will not bring about peace or security, and will be rebuffed ASEAN wants partnership, not alignment against a neighbor that is also their largest trading partner. Finally they should note that ASEAN foreign and economic ministers will be following very closely the U.S. initiated global trade war and new uncertainties in the international economic landscape and rule of order. The Secretary of State should use whatever influence he has on Trump and his economic colleagues in the U.S. administration to emphasize that the unilateral action relating to tariffs and bullying efforts to "rebalance" trade relationships at the expense of ASEAN countries will have a lasting negative impact on U.S.-ASEAN relations.