Officials in the Philippines say that President Trump will not pull back from defense commitments because Manila and Washington have a common adversary.

Indonesia is one of the founding members of ASEAN and long served as its de facto leader, playing a crucial role in mediating regional crises. Analysts warned that its leadership in the group on the South China Sea issue would wane if it stopped championing international legal norms.

Indonesia, southeast Asia's largest economy, has long maintained a neutral foreign policy. But President Prabowo Subianto appears keen to deepen defense and security ties with Russia.

China’s assertion of power in the South China Sea has been a gradual yet systematic process. From building military outposts on artificial islands to deploying its vast maritime militia, Beijing has ensured that it is the most formidable presence in these waters.

Indonesia has also figured in violent confrontations ... of an Australian P-8 Poseidon surveillance jet over the South China Sea, according to Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles.