Is the US giving China the opportunity to increase its influence?

(Baonghean.vn)- Analysts say US President Donald Trump's decision not to attend the East Asia Summit (EAS) as part of his trip to the region next month will make allies worry that Washington will limit its involvement in the Asia-Pacific region.

Observers say the US leader's skipping of the EAS conference and Washington's withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will give China and President Xi Jinping an opportunity to "fill the void" to lead the region.

A series of recent decisions by US President Donald Trump have caused concern to Asian allies. Photo: AP

President Trump's absence from the EAS could be another blow to countries in the region, especially US allies who see Washington as a counterweight to Beijing.

Richard Heydarian, professor of international affairs and political science at De La Salle University in Manila, said Trump's decision was strange and could send the wrong message to the region about the Trump administration's lack of engagement.

“Given China’s growing influence in Southeast Asia, Trump should have made more of an effort, not limited to the maximum extent the engagement strategy of his predecessor Obama,” the expert commented.

Another expert, Ian Storey, from the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, said the timing of President Trump's decision was "horrific".

Analysts are concerned that the US is giving China an opportunity to increase its influence in the Asia-Pacific region. Photo: AP

“While President Xi Jinping is consolidating power at home and asserting China’s regional leadership ambitions, the US President is signaling that he does not have the energy to stay another 24 hours to attend one of the most important meetings of Asia-Pacific leaders,” he said.

Mr. Evan Resnick, Professor and coordinator of the US program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, commented that Mr. Trump's decision will affect the solidarity of Southeast Asian countries in dealing with a powerful China.

However, Mr. Truong Minh Luong, a Southeast Asia expert at Jinan University (China) warned that Beijing needs to be cautious when dealing with neighboring Southeast Asian countries, which are always concerned about China's increasing expansion in the region.

Lan Ha

(According to SCMP)