Recent senate hearings to confirm Donald Trump’s cabinet picks brought into sharp contrast the candidate for US secretary of defence, Pete Hegseth, and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio. Tammy Duckworth,

Tammy Duckworth asked the nominee for factual details about the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including its membership and the U.S.'s relationship with member countries. Hegseth responded that he was unable to name the exact members of ASEAN,

A senator told Hegseth: "I suggest you do a little homework before you prepare for these types of negotiations."

US President Donald Trump could impose tariffs on Malaysian goods or that of Malaysia’s key trading partners, says UOB’s Julia Goh.

Both Biden and Donald Trump have participated. Despite some members’ territorial conflicts with China, many in the bloc have close relations with Beijing as well, and top-level Chinese officials also attend ASEAN meetings. The U.S. in 2022 was elevated ...

Tariffs could be imposed on foreign-made semiconductor chips, including those by Taiwan’s TSMC, if they are not made stateside.

While Hegseth fumbled in responding to questions from Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who was born in Bangkok and injured in combat while serving in the U.S. military, regional leaders have expressed optimism about U.S. engagement under Trump’s leadership.

During his confirmation hearing, Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee couldn’t name a single member of the Southeast Asian bloc.

DONALD Trump has been pretty busy since his inauguration as President of the United States for the second time. Read more at The Business Times.

Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, born in Bangkok to a Thai mother and an American father, posed the question to Pete Hegseth.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, was questioned about ASEAN during a heated Senate confirmation and struggled with his response.

Hegseth responded at the heated Senate confirmation hearing that he couldn’t tell Duckworth the exact number of ASEAN nations, but that “I know we have allies in South Korea and Japan in AUKUS (a pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.) with Australia.”