This is a great opportunity for Mr Trump to drum up support for his North Korean policy and firm up his ties with Asean. In the beginning, Washington feared that any multilateral security forum such as the ARF would weaken ongoing bilateral security alliances and other security arrangements, especially those in Northeast Asia. It took all of Asean's persuasive power to convince the then Clinton administration that the ARF would benefit the regional security network of the US. One caveat is in order: Mr Trump should not cause any more uncertainty to the Asean chair about his attendance. It remains to be seen how Mr Trump engages with Asean leaders collectively after his faltering start.

Source: Bangkok Post November 08, 2017 20:37 UTC