James Borton

James Borton is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship at Yale University. He is a freelance global journalist who writes for Asia Times, Asia Literary Review, Foreign Policy and The Washington Times. He recently edited Islands and Rocks in the South China Sea: Post Hague Ruling. He is also a nonresident fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington and a regular contributor to Geopolitical Monitor. James is now at work on a new book, Dispatches from the South China Sea.

Whither the Quiet American? The Harmful Bombast of Trump’s Presidency

President of the United States Donald Trump speaking at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. / cc Gage Skidmore, modified, https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/54362203846/

Contrary to prevailing opinion in the White House, the world is far too complex to be reduced to simple deals and slogans.

Navigating US-Southeast Asia Relations under the Trump Administration

President Trump returning from Florida in 2020, modified, Trump White House, https://flickr.com/photos/whitehouse45/50184624051/in/photolist-2jsDjjP-2jyyvFv-2iqiCcd-2jxFhmb-24n4jRR-2iq53sF-2a4MDv7-2jyypgS-2gkMWs7-2i9Xsnj-U3HM66-2jmTogR-2jyyvG7-2j2fdqT-2iq39tM-2gkMWvP-2ga2Th1-2jxhnnf-2ga1Dvg-2jyznsv-2gnY1SW-2jyypeY-2gkMWEX-2jyvaQg-2ga22uk-2ga2Txg-2g38DDW-HxYzvG-2ivdbzH-2jyypeC-2jeZvFk-24n4jXH-2gnY26b-2iq3Ttz-2ga1CKJ-2hhJn9z-2gkMWvo-QnAmv8-2i9ZTtq-2gkMMN1-2gkMMGp-2jC1Rro-2gnXVPL-2jxX8xJ-2hhL1BM-Rd9JXv-GrnLNz-2hX3FcK-2ktphD9-2h3bbcG

Beyond economics, strengthening security ties with Southeast Asia is crucial for maintaining regional stability and countering shared threats.

US-Vietnam Relations Remain Insulated from Political Change

cc kremlin.ru, modified, http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/74354

Despite leadership turnover in Vietnam and potentially the United States, the strategic and economic cooperation underpinning US-Vietnam relations remains locked in.

Vietnam’s New Leadership: Old Path, New Expectations

Photo title: General Secretary, President To Lam appoints new deputy prime ministers: Mr. Nguyen Hoa Binh, Mr. Bui Thanh Son and Mr. Ho Duc Phoc on August 26, 2024 Photo credit: VNA

Vietnam’s recent leadership changes underscore the government’s dedication to its anti-corruption campaign and ongoing economic growth strategy,

Vietnam Needs NGOs and Youth to Meet Climate Change Challenges

Students doing field work in Hau Giang Province and Can Tho City, learning to collect data on surface-water and riverbed water and sediment quality changes. Photo credit: Nguyen Minh Quang, co-founder Mekong Environment Forum, modified, all rights reserved for author.

By leveraging the unique strengths of NGOs and youth, Vietnam can create a more resilient and adaptive society, capable of addressing the multifaceted challenges of climate change.

The Case for Vietnam’s Market Economy Status

Vietnam Flag, cc Flickr mattjkelley - https://flickr.com/photos/mattjkelley/4435397406/in/photolist-7KWz85-5HVxDU-9958qp-nT9mkX-9cR9gu-y6LvK-2nSPgBJ-2o4cxDX-fQjaSp-GqDokz-2nrLXfB-2kTzG8W-jy7u1-2mPa3Ud-aYq1mX-2owMQkE-5n8zqE-zRi5su-BaiZZ-MFjNQJ-2ouhX2c-HstyCi-Zikxpn-2iThYE3-2owSNpy-2nQ2ina-2otU6Gj-2nNhPiU-2nq9Kop-2owRFaE-gZ2FtR-2medPU4-fqJpaR-2m2m6Vr-2nLM4M2-cfpcEm-2ouhK1t-2mtMHdS-9fYZrD-e1eSFa-2nyEnkd-2meMkhN-2gS3otG-2ngVaLc-2kdABVx-2mdKgSA-fqKcQZ-JneLw6-2nQi98W-2nUpXXQ

Vietnam’s market reforms are still a work in progress, but the country is much more deserving of market status than some other states that have secured it.

Cross-Strait Relations Remain in Washington’s Long Lens

DPP Presidential Candidate William Lai; cc executive yuan, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=William%20Lai%20%20taiwan&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=1#/media/File:William_Lai_and_Shen_Jong-chin_20170919.jpg, modified

Whoever wins the upcoming presidential election, Taiwan will remain a focal point in US-China relations, exerting major influence over geopolitics and the military equilibrium of Asia.

Funan Techo Project Calls for Joint Approach to Mekong Development

Vietnam News Agency or VNA

A new China-Cambodia canal project risks ecological damage in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, highlighting the need for a joint approach to development.

Vietnam Eyes Lifting of the EU Yellow Card

Vietnam's Khanh Hoa province by Nguyen Dung VNA.; modified

Vietnam’s fishing industry has made strides in addressing some of the EU’s concerns over IUU; however, there’s still work to be done.

South China Sea: U.S. Must Draw a Line on China’s “Grey Zone” Threats

SOUTH CHINA SEA (July 22, 2016) Sailors signal to an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter attached to the “Golden Falcons” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12 as it hovers over the flight deck of the Arleigh-Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85) during a visit, board, search and seizure training exercise. McCampbell is on patrol with the Carrier Strike Group Five (CSG 5) in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Elesia K. Patten/Released)160722-N-WM647-202 Join the conversation: http://www.navy.mil/viewGallery.asp http://www.facebook.com/USNavy http://www.twitter.com/USNavy http://navylive.dodlive.mil http://pinterest.com https://plus.google.com

The U.S. cannot afford to be blindsided by any future incidents and dangers posed by China’s maritime ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region.

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