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lynnkuok.bsky.social
@lynnkuok.bsky.social
The world is less bound by law, less anchored in US-led alliances, & more unpredictable as the power balance shifts. I joined the World Economic Forum's #RadioDavos to discuss Trump 2.0, US-China, UN reform & what gives me hope. Tks @robinpomeroy.bsky.social @aloraibi.bsky.social
📺: bit.ly/3JPcmLk
Superpower rivalry and geopolitics in Trump 2.0
How does the superpower rivalry between the US and China dictate international relations more broadly? And what does it mean for the future of trade, security and development? Lee Kuan Yew, Chair in ...
bit.ly
November 9, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Chaired a NATO Public Forum session in The Hague with 🇦🇺 Deputy PM & Defence Minister Richard Marles on "Partnering in the Indo-Pacific." NATO's ties to the region are more urgent - and more fragile - than ever. In @foreignpolicy.com, I explain why: bit.ly/4fa8Bez
📸 Last pic: hardworking summit dog ❤️
July 27, 2025 at 11:46 PM
On 10 June, I testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific at a hearing titled ‘Building Bridges, Countering Rivals: Strengthening U.S.–ASEAN Ties to Combat Chinese Influence’.
@houseforeign.bsky.social
June 23, 2025 at 12:29 AM
China's salami-slicing in the #SouthChinaSea continues - this time w/ its first on-the ground, formal claim over a previously unoccupied land feature in over a decade. My @foreignpolicy.com piece on Sandy Cay as flashpoint + test of US credibility. TY @ravireports.bsky.social
👉http://bit.ly/3Hg5vsS
Beijing’s Play for Sandy Cay
China’s salami-slicing in the South China Sea is eroding U.S. credibility.
foreignpolicy.com
June 2, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Wonderful to join the three-day Munich Leaders Meeting and to celebrate the opening of the
@munsecconf.bsky.social's DC office - on a very rainy evening! Congratulations to Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger and @benediktfranke.bsky.social!
June 1, 2025 at 4:27 AM
🇲🇾 Trade Minister Tengku Zafrul was recently in DC for 48 hrs, meeting w USTR & senior State officials - just after Xi's #SEAsia tour & #UStariffs. Delighted to host him for a private roundtable & that he made time to browse @brookings.edu books by RyanHass & @mireyasolis.bsky.social #Malaysia #MITI
May 5, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Joined @bloombergtv.bsky.social to discuss Xi’s SoutheastAsia tour. Xi’s visit was a success: 113 agreements signed. Many not binding, but a clear show of presence as US engagement fades. ASEAN will hedge, but deeper China ties cld lead to strategic alignment by choice or necessity
📺 bit.ly/3YFgy4n
April 23, 2025 at 8:33 PM
U.S. foreign policy is becoming more coercive. In my latest @foreignaffairs.com piece, I argue that pressuring Asia to align could backfire. It may also unfold alongside abandonment, leaving allies & partners simultaneously exposed to pressure and disregard
🔗 www.foreignaffairs.com/guest-pass/r...
How Trump’s Coercion Could Backfire in Asia
Forcing the region to choose sides risks pushing it toward China.
www.foreignaffairs.com
April 20, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Testified before US-China Commission on 20 Mar:
“America First” cannot mean America alone. To restore US influence in SE Asia, Washington must:
• deepen econ engagement
• strengthen partnerships
• uphold int'l law & avoid coercion.
Tariffs hit economies & strain partnerships.
📄 bit.ly/4idlGnu
April 14, 2025 at 1:27 PM
“For over a decade, Washington rallied countries by pointing to China’s bullying, lawbreaking and unfair economic practices,” said Lynn Kuok, Lee Kuan Yew Chair in Southeast Asia Studies at the Brookings Institution. “Now, it risks being accused of exactly that.” www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Panic Grips World’s Factory Hubs After Trump Tariff Whiplash
Exporters in the poorest countries are grappling with cancelled orders, upended livelihoods and the impossibility of knowing what to do next.
www.bloomberg.com
April 13, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Back at @harvardkennedy.bsky.social—this time speaking in the John F Kennedy Jr Forum, where I once sat as a student and fellow. Spoke alongside Thailand's PM-designate ('23) Pita Limjaroenrat & ASPI's Greg Brown at the inaugural Asia-Pacific Conference. Kudos to the student team & @SGglobalnetwork.
April 8, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Tks @lowyinstitute.bsky.social for invite to speak at #MSC2025 on Trump 2.0, Xi & the Great Game in Asia w Gen Brawner, Froman @cfr.org, Blanchette @rand.org & moderator Fullilove. Enjoyed panel & chats w @oanalungescu.bsky.social @gideonrachman.bsky.social @shashj.bsky.social @lgflake.bsky.social
March 30, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Reposted
Mireya Solís examines how Japan will deal with the looming threat posed by U.S. economic tariffs to its longstanding relationship with the United States.
The Gilded Age of the American Tariff: Choices Ahead for Japan
As Donald Trump plows ahead in the early months of his chaotic second presidency, one thing remains clear: his preference for tariffs as a tool of economic diplomacy. How can Japan deal with this thre...
www.nippon.com
March 13, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Very much looking forward to speaking at the Inaugural @harvardkennedy.bsky.social Asia Pacific Conference - thank you for having me!

➡️ www.harvardasiapacificcon.org
March 7, 2025 at 5:25 PM
This year’s Munich Security Conference exposed a deep rupture in transatlantic relations. Yet, Indo-Pacific security and its connection to Europe's security were also key themes. It was a great privilege to chair two back-to-back ministerial-level discussions on these critical issues.
March 3, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Vienna is enchanting! I was there to deliver a keynote 'Asia in a Time of Change' at the Federal Economic Chamber’s Asia Day & to join a geopol panel. Nearly 1000 attended, incl Federal Min of Econ Martin Kocher, who opened my remarks
📸: Chinese amb Qi Mei, Martin Kocher, Amelie Gross & panelists
December 31, 2024 at 5:55 PM
What is the significance of 2027, which some had raised as when China might invade Taiwan? How are conflicts in Europe & the Middle East impacting defence preparedness in Asia?
December 17, 2024 at 4:45 AM