Talk Synopsis
There is a common perception in the US that many countries in Southeast Asia are sleepwalking their way towards strategic danger in not doing enough to resist a coercive and revisionist China. For some, this is reflected in the Southeast Asian refrain of never wanting to be ‘forced to choose’ between the US and China. For many Americans, this enabled Chinese dominance as the passivity or neutrality of Southeast Asian states makes it more difficult for the distant power of the US to provide a balance and counter against China. Dr. Lee will assess American perceptions and misperceptions of Southeast Asian approaches.
Speaker’s Profile
Dr. Lee is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC. He has been a senior national security adviser to the Australian government and its principal adviser to the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper. He has held adjunct professorships at the Australian National University and University of Sydney. He received his Masters and Doctorate degrees from the University of Oxford. Born in Ipoh, Malaysia, he is based in Sydney.