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CRS Issue Statement on Southeast Asia,
Australasia, and the Pacific Islands
Bruce Vaughn, Coordinator
Specialist in Asian Affairs
January 15, 2010
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
IS40388
CRS Report for Congress
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repared for Members and Committees of Congress
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CRS Issue Statement on Southeast Asia, Australasia, and the Pacific Islands
he United States has many interests in Southeast Asia, Australasia, and the Pacific Islands,
in keeping with the wide variety of countries in the region. It includes U.S. allies
T (Australia, Thailand, and the Philippines) and key strategic friends (including Singapore),
two ideologically moderate, majority-Muslim democracies (Malaysia and Indonesia, the world's
most populous Muslim country), one of the world's busiest waterways (the Straits of Malacca,
through which half the world's oil shipments pass), sites of deadly terrorist attacks, a former
adversary in the process of transforming itself into a quasi-market economy (Vietnam), and a
"rogue" state whose human rights record and foreign policy have triggered extensive U.S.
sanctions (Burma, or Myanmar).
Southeast Asia has emerged as the hub for discussions of Asian economic and security
architectures. Proximity to China, India, and Japan has increasingly made the region a center for
strategic and economic rivalry. In the past several years China has significantly increased foreign
aid, trade, and its diplomatic presence in the region. Some believe these ties may serve as a basis
for China's cultivation of security relationships in Southeast Asia at the expense of U.S. interests
in the future. Other observers argue that China's rise in the region does not threaten the position of
the United States and may be of growing concern to some regional states.
Congress faces significant policy challenges in the region, including assessing and responding to
China's growing influence, promoting democracy and human rights, fighting terrorism,
addressing regional aspects of climate change, engaging in public diplomacy, and promoting
trade. The ongoing political dynamics in Burma (Myanmar) will continue to be one of the more
prominent Southeast Asia issues. The U.S. decision to sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation
with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN; Brunei, Burma [Myanmar],
Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and
other recent moves to engage the region have been well received by regional states.
Congress may play a role in its oversight of the Administration’s efforts to actively engage the
region at a time when the regional architecture of Asia is evolving. Such U.S. engagement will
likely work with U.S. allies and regional fora which could include groups such as ASEAN, the
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the Trans
Pacific Strategic Partnership Agreement (TPP). The East Asia Summit (EAS), formed in 2005 and
consisting of ASEAN "Plus Three" (Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus China, Japan,
and South Korea), with the addition of Australia, New Zealand, and India, could potentially rival
APEC as the premier multilateral organization in Asia. Although some members of EAS have
outlooks that are more consistent with U.S. interests than China's, the absence of the United
States in the grouping has been interpreted by some as a sign of declining U.S. influence relative
to China. The TPP, meanwhile, has emerged as a centerpiece of U.S. trade policy with the
potential to deepen U.S. engagement with the region.
Terrorist activity has dropped significantly in the region in recent years. Jemaah Islamiyah (JI),
the main Southeast Asian Islamist terrorist group, struck targets in Indonesia and has links to
violent Islamist groups in the southern Philippines. Cooperative counter terrorism activities
include intelligence sharing and joint police investigations in Indonesia and joint military
exercises in the Philippines. The Muslim insurrection in Southern Thailand also merits ongoing
attention.
Congressional Research Service
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CRS Issue Statement on Southeast Asia, Australasia, and the Pacific Islands
Issue Team Members
Bruce Vaughn, Coordinator
Rhoda Margesson
Specialist in Asian Affairs
Specialist in International Humanitarian Policy
bvaughn@crs.loc.gov, 7-3144
rmargesson@crs.loc.gov, 7-0425
Emma Chanlett-Avery
Michael F. Martin
Specialist in Asian Affairs
Analyst in Asian Trade and Finance
echanlettavery@crs.loc.gov, 7-7748
mfmartin@crs.loc.gov, 7-2199
Susan G. Chesser
Wayne M. Morrison
Information Research Specialist
Specialist in Asian Trade and Finance
schesser@crs.loc.gov, 7-9547
wmorrison@crs.loc.gov, 7-7767
Thomas Coipuram Jr.
Dick K. Nanto
Information Research Specialist
Specialist in Industry and Trade
tcoipuram@crs.loc.gov, 7-4296
dnanto@crs.loc.gov, 7-7754
Ian F. Fergusson
Larry A. Niksch
Specialist in International Trade and Finance
Specialist in Asian Affairs
ifergusson@crs.loc.gov, 7-4997
lniksch@crs.loc.gov, 7-7680
Hannah Fischer
Pervaze A. Sheikh
Information Research Specialist
Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
hfischer@crs.loc.gov, 7-8989
psheikh@crs.loc.gov, 7-6070
Thomas Lum
Martin A. Weiss
Specialist in Asian Affairs
Specialist in International Trade and Finance
tlum@crs.loc.gov, 7-7616
mweiss@crs.loc.gov, 7-5407
Mark E. Manyin
Specialist in Asian Affairs
mmanyin@crs.loc.gov, 7-7653
Congressional Research Service
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