Asian multilateralism and its potential shift under President Donald Trump were the focus of a 26 March seminar organised by the Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)The seminar featured Professor Nick Bisley, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University in Australia with Associate Professor Kei Koga from Nanyang Technological University’s School of Social Sciences as a discussant, and Dr Alan Chong, Senior Fellow at RSIS, as moderator.
Professor Bisley discussed Asian multilateralism and its potential shift under Donald Trump’s second presidency, a topic of significant interest since his 2024 election victory. Professor Bisley provided a historical background of Asian multilateralism, which was driven by positive-sum cooperation among countries. This peaked between the late 1990s and early 2010s with the emergence of “ASEAN-Plus” mechanisms like the East Asia Summit (EAS). However, resource constraints and missed expectations led to a deceleration in momentum. Countries’ resource nationalism during the COVID pandemic exacerbated these concerns.
He proceeded to describe the logic underpinning Trump’s foreign policy as “transactional realpolitik” defined by an overarching reliance on hard power and a zero-sum view of global affairs, resulting in a very transactional understanding of American foreign relations. He cautioned that this transformation of American foreign policy will persist long after Trump leaves office. With a United States guided by zero-sum thinking and a China largely driven by self-interest, Professor Bisley argued that Asia is currently left without a regional leader – and such a void will need to be filled. He suggests reinvigorating existing cooperation mechanisms like the EAS and pursuing pragmatic cooperation in the form of preferential trade agreements (PTAs).
Associate Professor Koga kickstarted the Q&A discussion by asking Professor Bisley’s thoughts on how best to coordinate multilateral cooperation among countries as well as any specific roles that small and middle powers can play within ASEAN-Plus mechanisms. In response, Professor Bisley noted that the “uncertainty” of Trump’s foreign policy serves as an impetus for America’s allies in the Asia-Pacific, particularly Japan and Australia, to seek other areas of cooperation. Professor Bisley also responded to questions from the audience, who were keen to know more about President Trump’s impact on the international order and what Asian countries can do moving forward.
