On March 13th 2025, the HDFF team attended the conference “The Nexus between Domestic and International Politics : Unveiling the Geopolitical Reconfiguration in the Indo-Pacific”, organized by the Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS) and held at Dusit Thani Bangkok. The following is a report on the first panel discussion.
Moderator : Dr. Pongphisoot Busbarat, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University
Speakers
- Dr. Khong Yuen Foong, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore
- Dr. Zhu Feng, Nanjing University, China
- Dr. Ken Jimbo, Keio University, Japan
- Dr. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University
1) The Current State of the International Order
While invoking the evolving nature of the US-led international order, Dr. Yuen Foong emphasized how America’s global standing has shifted due to internal political changes since the presidential election. By mentioning the reshaping of the American bureaucracy enabled by Elon Musk’s DOGE, Dr. Yuen Foong drew a clear parallel with the McCarthy-era purges. He noted that while the US remains a dominant power, its credibility and soft power have significantly diminished, particularly in Asia. The discussion addressed the impact of ongoing trade tensions with China, Europe and Canada, and the erosion of bipartisan consensus on providing global public goods. What’s more, there seems to be a clear strategic shift of alignments. Even though attitudes towards China vary across the region, the trend the discussion evoked showed a general drift of most ASEAN countries away from the US to China.
2) The American Revolutions and Its Global Implications
The second panelist, Dr. Zhu Feng, analyzed how the Trump administration’s policy directions have marked a departure from its predecessors, reshaping domestic governance and foreign relations. Bureaucratic restructuring emerged as a notable shift, marked by efforts to reduce the role of federal agencies and reshape institutional oversight. Cultural and value shifts were also central, with policies targeting minority groups and altering America’s international messaging. Strategic repositioning played a crucial role as well, with a focus on “America First” policies that redefine alliances and global engagement, impacting both traditional and emerging powers. The resurgence of primacy as a grand strategy suggests that, due to its global influence, the US should remain an unparalleled and unrestrained power, emphasizing the idea of unilateralism to maintain its leadership. In this context, Dr. Zhu Feng explained that China’s response has been measured, prioritizing economic resilience over geopolitical confrontation.
3) The Reinforcement of Unipolarity
The third part of the conference discussed by Dr. Ken Jimbo focused on the shift from rules-based governance to a more patrimonial model under Trump, where state power is increasingly personalized. The weaponization of US institutions was also evoked, involving the use of state agencies and military tools for political survival, hence challenging the system of check-and-balances. Additionally, he discussed the rise of privatized governance, blurring the lines between state and corporate interests, and underscored Japan’s role as a key ally in Asia, along with the challenges posed by US unpredictability in security commitments as demonstrated by the recent funding cuts to the International House of Japan, where four major initiatives were either canceled or reviewed due to reductions by the Trump administration.
4) The Nexus Between Domestic and International Politics
Prof. Thitinan Pongsudhirak compared the situation to previous historical shifts and questioned whether current US policies represent a temporary disruption or a long-term transformation of the rule-based liberal global order. He underlined his analysis with the words “We are now heading towards a tyranny of anarchy”, as the liberal order is broken down by the country which was the very chief architect of it – the US. By comparing the present situation to the disbelief experienced during COVID described as an “unreal world”, he highlighted the downfall of geopolitics in the US foreign policy and the rise of geoeconomic warfare, even against US allies. Professor Thitinan then discussed “Trump the Man” and “Trump the Movement (MAGA)” with an informative focus on the movement part. He pointed out that the MAGA movement came from a fringe group in the Republican party to the mainstream in the very same party. Publications by Patrick J. Buchanan (” America First – and Second, and Third”- 1990) outlined “We cannot forever defend wealthy nations that refuse to defend themselves […] How other people rule themselves is their own business […] years after the Marshall Plan, it is time Europe conscripted the soldiers for their own defense”, followed by Samuel Huntington’s (2004) claim that “[..].in its origins America was not a nation of immigrants, it was a society or societies of settlers who came to the New World in the seventeenth and eighteenth century”. Professor Thitinan emphasized that it took 30 years to make this fringe movement the core of the Republican party and that MAGA is now looking into three related issues
- America used to be great
- How America lost its greatness
- How to get America’s greatness back
This statement leads to an anti-imperial “no-world-policeman” attitude in the party members and decision makers. It also embodies the desire for “paybacks” where the US expects minimum acknowledgement but aiming for compensation for its past sacrifices and contributions to building and maintaining the liberal international order. Therefore, the result of the ongoing destruction of the liberal world order will be long lasting, even permanent. Prof. Thitinan Pongsudhirak also linked US identity to nativism and protectionism, noting how ASEAN countries like Thailand are adjusting to the changing US role, as seen in actions like Thailand sending Uyghurs back to China or Indonesia joining BRICS. At the end of his intervention, he pointed out that President Trump does not care about small states, therefore ASEAN needs to unit in one voice.
By the end of the discussion, the question of whether policy is changing in response to the current global situation was addressed by the panelists:
● Dr. Yuen Foong emphasized for the second time the distinction between Trump and the MAGA movement, highlighting the US’s focus on China since Obama and the shift in alliances, particularly with Russia over the Ukrainian war.
● Dr. Zhu Feng stated that despite Trump’s disruptions, US power remained largely unchanged. The impact of domestic restructuring is still unfolding, and the international community’s response to this “New America” in the next few years will be crucial, especially in Southeast Asia.
● Dr. Ken Jimbo pointed to a shift in US policy towards deal-making and intervention, embodying Roosevelt’s Big stick doctrine, with a detachment from global affairs. US-Japan relations, once flexible and trusting, now face uncertainty.
● Prof. Thitinan Pongsudhirak questioned the durability of “Trumpism” and its impact on global power dynamics, emphasizing the need for Japan’s greater leadership in the region as the US approach to China evolves.
HDFF would like to thank ISIS Thailand for the invitation to this very comprehensive and informative event.
Image source : ISIS Thailand
Comments are closed