US needs a trade deal with Southeast Asia to counter China, not a democracy summit
- At a time when China is determined to position itself as the dominant power in Southeast Asia, playing the democracy game is counterproductive
- If the real purpose of the summit is to counter China’s influence, as is widely perceived, then it’s time for Washington to rival Beijing’s bid to forge strong economic links with the region
But aside from drawing confusion around the invitations and purpose of the event, it is also unclear what benefits the summit will bring to Southeast Asia, and whether three Asean states can make a difference or even be heard in such a crowded meeting.
Even the less authoritarian states are plagued by money politics, shrinking civil society spaces and deteriorating democratic institutions.
In any case, as veteran Singapore diplomat Chan Heng Chee pointed out in May, it is not a good idea to “wave this flag of democracy in everyone’s faces. Countries have different histories and traditions”.
Beijing has made clear it is not bothered about what types of regimes or political systems are running Southeast Asian nations, as it tosses a liberal array of economic incentives to the region.
In contrast, the US has yet to come up with a halfway coherent economic engagement strategy with Southeast Asia, despite a trip by its Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to the region last month.
“The US cannot afford to be absent from the region’s evolving economic architecture,” Heng said.
If the real purpose of the summit is to counter and challenge China’s influence globally, as is widely perceived, then it is time for Washington to rival Beijing’s efforts in forging closer and indispensable economic links with the region.
The US needs to deliver a trade pact that reaffirms its commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, which in Raimondo’s words, will “strengthen our businesses, our workforce, and our economies”.
That will certainly deliver more oomph than having a democracy summit that draws unwilling Southeast Asian countries into what Beijing has described as “an ideology-driven clique to contain China”.