Gaston Sigur Memorial Lecture: The Future of American Policy Towards Southeast Asia 

Great lecture.

One should see that Europe is an object to hurl at Russia. So what use could ASEAN be?

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

The US is hierarchical too with the requirements for statehood that the majority of the citizens are whites and English is the primary language. That's how Hawaii was made a state while Puerto Rico and Guam are not yet

I assume Bilahari has been invited due in no small measure to his well known sinophobic view of China. Elsewhere, he still speaks of China's BRI as a debt trap when Bloomberg has already proclaimed it as a debunked myth. His assertion that China is converting minorities into Han is another. His off the cuff Q&A session is unnecessarily dismissive of Indonesia (in certain comments), Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and Asean, not because he is brutally accurate but cynically unfounded. Is it surprising that, even by his own admission, he is now out of the government on pension? But this lecture is one of Bilahari's better ones. He reminds Americans that neutrality to SE Asian nations mean the ability to choose action selectively based on national interests. To be coerced to take side may be counter-productive. He has also made many other good points. It's not China that is militarising SCS but the US by adding more Philippines bases to the hundreds encircling China. As Bikahari pointed out, this region, across the Pacific Ocean, is not an existential threat to the US. But it is to China, surrounded by US military bases and threats of blockade of China's trade routes to the world. It would be great if US could take on a more diplomatic role in resolving conflicts with China. It's more urgent now than ever for US and China to cooperate rather than engage in a dangerous binary struggle. A strong US and strong China together is better for all.

I do agree that Singapore is the brain of ASEAN because of our ability to use agencies.

He made a few good points and some terrible ones. I hope the audience don't take him as representative of Singapore's views.

Bilhari keeps the Singapore flag flying. All credit to him and the country. Majulah Singapura

If the CCP pressures the Singapore government for political gains, we should ensure all Singaporeans are informed so that we can publicly condemn the CCP.