Author: See Seng Tan

One of the most advanced nuclear-powered submarines in the United States Navy arrived in Japan on Friday, as China continues the rapid expansion of its fleet of warships in a bid to challenge American naval dominance. USS Seawolf, an attack submarine and the lead ship of its class, arrived at Yokosuka, a city in Japan’s Kanagawa Prefecture, according to a ship spotter who posted photos of the vessel on X, formerly Twitter. The prefectural government has confirmed the visit by the American submarine. The U.S. Navy describes the Seawolf and its two sister ships as “exceptionally quiet, fast, well-armed, and equipped with advanced sensors.” Each is equipped with eight torpedo tubes…

A potential Kamala Harris presidency is unlikely to change existing US foreign policy towards the Indo-Pacific region. That said, the possibility that a Harris administration may rely on ideas provided by Rebecca Lissner, a key adviser to Harris, for its foreign policy cannot be ruled out. While such a direction may provoke antagonism from China, a Harris foreign policy – relative to the prospect of another Trump presidency and its attendant uncertainties – may not be as bad for ASEAN. Speculations over what American foreign policy under the potential leadership of Kamala Devi Harris might look like have begun in…