Reference News Network, June 25 report - Australia's East Asia Forum website published an article titled "Trump 2.0 Will Alienate the Next Generation in Southeast Asia" on June 24. The author is Shu Lilian, a senior researcher at the Institute of South-east Asian Studies, Singapore's Yusof Ishak. The full text is as follows:

On April 2, US President Trump announced a series of tariff measures during his second term, causing global economic chaos. As a result, Trump has reinforced the regional image of the United States as a declining, unstable, and unreliable hegemonic power among young people in Southeast Asia.

Before Trump was re-elected, young people in Southeast Asia had increasingly expressed doubts about US leadership. We conducted pre-election focus group discussions with 33 Southeast Asian elites aged between 18 and 35 working in business, policy-making, and civil society sectors from six ASEAN countries. They expressed concerns about the US. They particularly mentioned the US government's strategy towards Gaza and Washington's clear lack of respect for international law.

Young people in Southeast Asia are an emerging demographic group, crucial for understanding how geopolitics affects Southeast Asia. Young people are an important political force - this can be seen in recent elections in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. With social media making information access increasingly convenient, many young social elites may have already become influential leaders.

They also expressed regret over Washington's inconsistent and fluctuating strategy toward Southeast Asia before 2024 and worried that Trump's second term would signal a more isolationist approach by the US. Young people have realized that a US led by Trump will be more unpredictable than before. At the same time, they also acknowledged that regardless of which government is in power, the US will continue to engage with Southeast Asia half-heartedly. Trump's early policies exacerbated these concerns.

Trump's continued support for Israel is a particular concern for young people in Muslim-majority countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Trump's indecisiveness on the Ukraine-Russia issue, while continuing to support Israel, cannot win the approval of many Southeast Asian observers.

Disappointment in the US has made many young people more inclined to support China. An annual "Southeast Asia Outlook" survey by the Institute of South-east Asian Studies showed that, except for Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand, participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam chose Beijing rather than Washington when faced with an either-or question. The participants in this survey gave positive evaluations of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative.

In the eyes of the respondents, Beijing is a more stable and reliable partner compared to Washington in advocating a multilateral system. China's image has significantly improved.

Older Southeast Asian respondents seemed more optimistic about Trump. According to the Institute's 2025 report, it was expected that under Trump's leadership, the US would strengthen its engagement with Southeast Asia, and people's trust in the US doing the right thing increased compared to 2024.

As the data collection took place between January and mid-February 2025, the region's elite likely did not fully anticipate that their countries would become direct targets of the "Liberation Day" tariffs.

The survey shows that confidence in Trump's second term largely depends on whether the US can "respect international law and its institutions and not disrupt the global system". Concerns include Washington possibly engaging in foreign intervention, being distracted by domestic affairs, continuing to support Israel in the Gaza conflict, and Trump's "unpredictability".

The US remains the preferred strategic partner in the region. However, the gap between Beijing and Washington is narrowing. China is the most influential economic partner in the region and a major source of strategic and political influence.

Even as they grow older, Southeast Asian youth may not forget the actions of the US government that weakened its regional standing. These actions by the US government will also affect future relations between the US and Southeast Asia.

On February 1, children experienced the traditional puppet show at the temple fair in Penang, Malaysia. (Xinhua News Agency)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7519796455838581258/

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