Sen. Tammy Duckworth put Pete Hegseth's foreign policy acumen to the test during Tuesday's confirmation hearing for President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon.
The Illinois Democrat asked Hegseth to name one country in ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, that is important to the United States, and then she asked how many countries are in that group.
Hegseth admitted he didn't know, but mentioned the U.S.'s alliances with South Korea, Japan and Australia. Duckworth pointed out that none of these countries are part of ASEAN.
“I recommend doing a little homework,” she said.
The 10 member countries of ASEAN are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea are “observer states.”
President Biden welcomed the leaders of all ASEAN countries to Washington in 2022 for a summit aimed at underscoring U.S. support for the region, a key battleground in the U.S.-China conflict.
The United States has strong ties with Thailand and the Philippines, has expanded its military presence under the Biden administration, and has also warmed relations with Vietnam.
However, many Southeast Asian countries enjoy good relations with the Chinese government and are major beneficiaries of the Belt and Road Initiative. China is also seen as a major supporter of Myanmar's military junta, which is embroiled in a civil war.
Some of the region's major economies, such as Malaysia and Indonesia, have managed to maintain strong commercial relationships with both the United States and China while striking a delicate diplomatic balance.
ASEAN's unity has at times been underlined by conflicting claims between some member states and China in the South China Sea, a key global shipping lane.
More than 5,000 civilians have been killed and remain in prison since the 2021 coup against Aung San Suu Kyi's democratic government, the United Nations says.
However, the group has managed to maintain its focus on mostly consensus areas, and its global influence is likely to grow along with its collective economy. Taken together, ASEAN is the fifth largest economy in the world.
China's exports to the region could also play a key role in a potential trade war between President-elect Trump and the Chinese government. sharp rise in recent weeks.
Joshua Kurlanczyk, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, predicted that Trump could pressure ASEAN members to choose between the U.S. and China. ASEAN member states have so far studiously avoided it.
“And despite the tremendous trust among U.S. policymakers of both parties, the United States may not prevail if countries are forced to choose,” he wrote. Japan Times.
“China is by far the dominant economic power in the region, and is increasingly providing the infrastructure for the region to function. Typically, a bullying approach does not work in Southeast Asia, and even under the Biden administration, Southeast Asian countries are appears to be dissatisfied with the prospect of leaving the region.
