The opening session of USAI’s new initiative, Southeast Asia in Focus, featured Dr. Amy Searight, Senior Associate for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Thomas Parks, Thailand Country Representative at the Asia Foundation, and Mike Orgill, Director of Asia-Pacific Public Policy at Airbnb. The speakers discussed a wide range of issues related to U.S. engagement in Southeast Asia: popular and elite attitudes towards U.S. leadership within the region, the likely trajectory of cooperation and competition in the region, and the implications of all of this on U.S. foreign policy. In addition, the speakers answered questions from our international audience, who were specifically concerned about U.S.-Indonesia relations, U.S.-Vietnam relations, the impact of the COVID pandemic on U.S.-Southeast Asia relations, and Chinese actions in the South China Sea. 

Thank you to our speakers for their insightful contributions, and to our audience for tuning in.

You can access the audio and video recordings HERE.

Speakers:

Dr. Amy Searight, Senior Associate for Asia, CSIS

Thomas Parks, Country Representative, Thailand, The Asia Foundation

Moderated by: Mike Orgill, Director of Asia-Pacific Public Policy, Airbnb

Please reach out to usai@usasiainstitute.org if you have any questions.