The 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in South Korea saw Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump meet for the first time since 2019, reaching agreements to ease tariffs and export controls. While Trump enthusiastically rated the meeting 12 out of 10, Thai scholars warn that beneath this apparent détente lies an accelerating decoupling between the superpowers that regional nations must carefully navigate.
Associate Professor Dulyapak Preecharush from Thailand’s Thammasat University released an analysis emphasizing that Trump’s foreign policy centers strictly on American national interests, with the U.S. leader believing American interests supersede international community interests. Trump’s approach utilizes “all international relations and diplomatic means to advance national security interests and economic prosperity,” focusing particularly on natural resources and trade that bring tangible benefits to America.
The Thai analysis highlights Trump’s sustained focus on the Indo-Pacific region, which he views as critical to American strategic interests. The region, home to over three billion people and rich in maritime resources, has become central to U.S. strategy through three key approaches: island chain militarization extending from Japan to the Pacific; offshore balancing that reduces direct military spending while supporting regional allies as counterweights to China; and networked security architecture through alliances like QUAD and AUKUS.
Professor Dulyapak’s research emphasizes that the Indo-Pacific’s abundant sea lanes and marine resources are vital to American security and prosperity, with the South China Sea and East China Sea serving as geopolitical and economic flashpoints. His report concludes with a critical warning: regional countries must carefully consider the roles and impacts of these superpowers when formulating their own security strategies and foreign policies, as U.S.-China competition will inevitably shape the region’s future.
Source: Radio France International, November 2, 2025
https://rfi.my/C9ID