US and Southeast Asia

From SEATO to ASEAN

Outline
US strategies of containment
original formulation SEATO Indochina and the Philippines

ASEAN
Post-Cold War changes

Counter-terrorism in Southeast Asia

Containment 1950s-1980s
US foreign policy treated Southeast Asia as an arena for competition with the Soviet Union Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger: ``Our objective was to purge our foreign policy of all sentimentality

Appeal of Communism
It seemed to be the wave of the future
dramatic economic and technological advances of the Soviet Union anti-colonialism ``importance by association psychology opportunity for greater personal power public disappointment and resentment at the poverty and violence after independence

Architect of Containment
George Kennans original formulation called for the coordinated use of political, economic, and military influence to prevent the expansion of Soviet control in vital regions

Original Formulation
Traditional Russian sense of insecurity Stalins need for a hostile world S.U. was not primarily a military threat A long-term containment of Russian expansive tendencies will lead to
"either the break-up or the gradual mellowing of Soviet power."

``Truman Doctrine (1947)

``It must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures Implies that substantial US support could be counted on anywhere, not just in those vital regions

Economic Strategies
In late 1940s, economic assistance was the central pillar of anti-communist policy
Marshall Plan to rebuild Western Europe The ``arsenal of democracy
technological and economic resources

Early Aid to Southeast Asia

US pressured the Netherlands to give independence to Dutch East Indies colony US-Indonesia economic and technical assistance agreement in 1950 US aid programs to Thailand and Burma in 1950

Militarization in Policy
US strategic shift of containment toward reliance on military strength in 1950s Obligated US to ``bear any cost against communist incursions anywhere in the world

SEATO (1954 - 1977)

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty Australia, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States oppose further Communist gains in Southeast Asia

SEATO (1954 - 1977)

Headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand SEATO's principal role was to sanction the U.S. presence in Vietnam, although France and Pakistan withheld support Unable to intervene in Laos or Vietnam in 60s and 70s due to its rule of unanimity SEATO was ultimately disbanded in 1977

Arc of Containment

``Falling Domino" Principle

President Eisenhower (1954-04-07):
``beginning of a disintegration that would have the most profound influences ``the possible sequence of events, the loss of Indochina, of Burma, of Thailand, of the Peninsula, and Indonesia ``the possible consequences of the loss are just incalculable to the free world

``Falling Domino" Principle

Simplistic perception of a monolithic Communist bloc Simplistic assumption that societies and politics in the vast, diverse Asia-Pacific region were essentially all alike

A Source of Misperception
The communist-hunt of 1947-1953 in US
Federal Employee Loyalty Program House Un-American Activities Committee Internal Security Act Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed communists had infiltrated S.D. and US Army

purged the Administration of its best senior Asia expertise

US in the Philippines
Philippines became a cornerstone of US ``containment in Southeast Asia US shored up the Philippine government with advisors and assistance US upgraded its two bases in the Philippines
Clark Air Force Base and the Subic Naval Base

Clark Air Force Base

Damaged by a volcanic eruption in 1991

Subic Naval Base

The air and naval bases became the most consistent, visible, and emotional of the issues that troubled USPhilippine post-war relations Natural disaster and the end of Cold War made these bases less desirable to US

Subic Bay
Closed in 1992 Philippine government converted it into a special economic zone to attract investment
Subic Bay Freeport Zone Commerce and tourism

1996 APEC Summit

ASEAN: overview
Association of Southeast Asian Nations 10 member states
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, & Vietnam

home to over 500 million people collective GDP of US$750 billion

ASEAN: founding (1967)

5 founding members:
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines

Bangkok Declaration of 1967:

accelerate economic growth promote regional peace and stability contain the spread of communism

End of Cold War

ASEAN Free Trade Area
initiated at ASEAN summit in 1992 comprehensive program of regional tariff reduction program later broadened and accelerated reaffirmed during Asian Financial Crisis of 1997-1998

End of Cold War

Expansion of ASEAN
1995: Vietnam 1997: Laos 1997: Myanmar 1999: Cambodia

ASEAN: external links

A joint forum with Japan was established in 1977 A cooperation agreement with the European Community was signed in 1980 ``ASEAN + 3: regular series of meetings at the cabinet and head-of-government levels with Japan, China, and South Korea since 1997

ASEAN and U.S.

Investment:
US$100 billion in U.S. direct investment

Market:
3rd largest overseas market for U.S. exports

Trade:
Two-way ASEAN-U.S. trade totaled US$172 billion in 2007, up from $85 billion in 1990

US Imports (billion US$) from Major Asian Economies

700 600 India

500 400

South Korea

Japan 300 200 China

100 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

ASEAN

US Exports (billion US$) to Major Asian Economies

250 India 200 South Korea 150 Japan 100 China 50 ASEAN 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

US Investment in ASEAN
90,000 80,000 70,000 60,000 mil lion US$ 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Singapore Thailand

19 9

19 9

19 9

19 9

2 20 0

20 0

19 9

19 9

19 9

19 9

19 9

19 9

20 0

20 0

Counter-Terrorism
US troops in the Philippines to assist Philippine armed forces to fight terrorists 2000-12-24 church bombings in Indonesia 2000-12-30 bombing in Manila, Philippines 2002-10-12 the Bali attacks 2003-08-05 J.W. Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta

Counter-Terrorism
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State:
``the common threat of terrorism has actually strengthened (U.S.) cooperation and ties with key Southeast Asian countries."

http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/pgtrpt/2003/31 611.htm