The book chapter “From Sentimental Imperialists to Gritty Power Broker: The United States in Postwar and Post-Colonial Southeast Asia” came out as part of the edited volume “External Powers and Southeast Asia in an era of US–China Strategic Competition”. The book is edited by Laura Southgate, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Aston University, UK, and Nicholas Khoo, Associate Professor in the Politics Programme at the University of Otago, New Zealand.
This book provides a comprehensive assessment of Beijing and Washington’s Southeast Asia policy, and moves beyond the superpower dyad to examine how multiple external actors — including the EU, UK, Japan, India, and Australia — are seeking to project power into the region.
Dr. Espia’s book chapter was co-written with Prof. Alexander C. Tan of the University of Canterbury. The chapter argues that while US fundamental interests in Asia has remained unchanged since 1899, Southeast Asia’s place in Washingston’s foreign policy can be viewed in terms of security-centered perspective. Several decades after withdrawing from Vietnam and from its bases in the Philippines, the US is still largely focused on providing security and underwriting stability in the region. However, with a more constrained strategic environment brought about by the rise of China, the US foreign policy establishment has begun to recognize Southeast Asia’s value beyond that of a forward staging base for military operations in the Pacific and beyond. This chapter examines both the evolution and determinants of US foreign policy towards Southeast Asia, paying attention to how specific elements of the US foreign policy toolbox, reflecting both hard and soft power, have been deployed, with varying outcomes in the region. The general attitude of the US towards the region has been one of benign neglect, and when it has paid attention, US policy has shown that it has failed to grasp the diversity of Southeast Asia. This pattern of behaviour has made US engagement in the region inconsistent and less credible.
Citation: Espia, J. C. & Tan, A.C. (2026). “From Sentimental Imperialists to Gritty Power Broker: The United States in Postwar and Post-Colonial Southeast Asia”, in Southgate, L. and Khoo, N. (eds.), External Powers and Southeast Asia in an era of US–China Strategic Competition. Bristol: Bristol University Press, pp. 37-52.
Link to the publisher’s website: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/external-powers-and-southeast-asia-in-an-era-of-us-china-strategic-competition
