Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

Location: The Heritage Foundation's Lehrman Auditorium

The United States has two treaty allies in Southeast Asia, Thailand and the Philippines.  These security commitments and the military presence that accompany them serve as the backbone of the American presence in the region.  But Southeast Asia, and the broader Asia Pacific, is nothing if not dynamic.  The relative weight of regional powers, the regional economy, and the nations themselves are all changing.  The world’s greatest political/economic challenge – the rise of China – is both Southeast Asia’s daily concern and its biggest opportunity.  How do our allies and friends in Southeast Asia see the new environment and how are they responding?  How is America responding?  Is America exercising the sort of leadership necessary to maintain its alliance structure and serve as the force of peace, security, and prosperity that has been its mission?  Join us as our panelists address these and other issues relevant to the future of America’s Southeast Asian alliances.