EXPERTS ADVISORY

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet with the foreign ministers of Southeast Asian countries this week in Washington. The foreign ministers of the ASEAN countries requested the meeting to discuss trade, the South China Sea dispute, and other issues. U-M experts are available to discuss:

John Ciorciari is an associate professor at the Ford School of Public Policy. His research focuses on Southeast Asia and examines foreign policy strategies, human rights and the reform of international economic institutions.

“ASEAN foreign ministers are coming in search of some clarity on the Trump administration’s Asia policy after another series of surprises, punctuated by Trump’s embrace of Duterte and overture to Kim Jong-un,” he said.

“Tillerson will try to reassure his guests of U.S. commitment to the region and intent to work with regional partners to deal with impasses on the Korean Peninsula and South China Sea. His Southeast Asian counterparts surely hope that Tillerson, Mattis and other members of Trump’s foreign policy team can bring some stability and discipline to the administration’s engagement with Asia. If they cannot, ASEAN members will have little choice but to take out insurance, reducing reliance on the United States and accommodating greater Chinese leadership in the region.”

Contact: 734-615-6947, johncior@umich.edu

Linda Lim, professor of strategy at the Ross School of Business, is an expert on political economy of local and multinational business in Southeast Asia.

Contact: 734-763-0290, lylim@umich.edu

Allen Hicken, professor of political science, researches political parties and party systems in developing democracies and their role in policymaking, particularly in the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia.

Contact: ahicken@umich.edu