George Yeo: «Trump is Good for the Region»
Ex-Singapore foreign minister George Yeo believes that US leadership under Donald Trump will be a positive force for Asia because there could be a smaller probability of war.
One of the drivers of Donald Trump’s victory in the race to the White House was his campaign to be an anti-war president. Even in his inaugural address, he said his proudest legacy will be his role as a «peacemaker and unifier» adding that the success of the military would be partly measured by «the wars we never get into».
George Yeo, the former Singapore foreign minister and Visiting Scholar at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, believes this will be true, especially for Asia.
«At The risk of offending my American and European friends, I would say Trump is good for the region because there's less likelihood of war,» commented Yeo during a panel at the HSBC Global Investment Summit 2025. «I think US-China relations will stabilize. They will not improve much, but they won't get worse.»
Cross-Strait Relations
According to Yeo, China’s relative strength under current President Xi Jinping is growing and it is big enough to destabilize America’s external environment. Combined with domestic issues in the US, such as Trump’s focus on reviving manufacturing, he believes that peaceful cross-strait relation is a high possibility.
«That's why [Trump’s] been very careful when he talks about Xi, my good friend. And whenever he is asked about Taiwan, he dances around,» Yeo remarked.
«Taiwan will not have to be resolved by violence. Eventually, it will be a ripened fruit. You look at Hong Kong. They made their move, finally. There was a period of unhappiness. People were sullen but […] between this year and last year is so much more buoyant now and next year will be even more buoyant because the Chinese economy is recovering.»
Philippines and India
Elsewhere in Asia, Beijing also has territorial disputes with other neighbors such as the Philippines in the South China Sea and India at the two countries’ border.
On the Philippines, Yeo said there is a «bit of kink» but he thinks it is «manageable». And on India, he believes a focus on growth will overcome disagreements.
«India knows that to really move faster, it needs cheaper Chinese inputs and it needs the Chinese market. And too much vexation over the border will give you emotional satisfaction but adds nothing to your economy and to your national strength,» he said.
Middle East
Yeo also remarked on the Middle East and the potential, or lack thereof, for an even broader conflict between Israel, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and its regional opponents with US support.
«To preserve a certain equanimity in the external environment, [Trump] can't afford to start new wars. Netanyahu may want to encourage him to bomb Iran. I don't think he will take that bait,» said Yeo.
Trade War
Outside of military conflicts, Yeo also spoke about the trade conflict where he once again believes a stable outcome could occur despite tariff risks.
«There's a good chance that China will play along with Trump. They said, meet me 50/50. I think with the US, China is prepared to go 70/30,» Yeo predicted. «Help Trump. If he wants manufacturing investments, give it to him. If he wants China to buy more agricultural products for his political base, buy. Buy time.»
Is China Expansionist?
While Yeo predicts that China's size could ultimately be equivalent to the combined economies of the US and European Union – and maybe even including Japan – he insists that Beijing has no hegemonic ambitions, citing a desire to be ethnically homogenous.
«I don't believe they are expansionist. They want influence, of course, but their preoccupation is defensive,» Yeo explained.
«What they want is stability and I don't think that they are going to take over Southeast Asia because how then can they remain over 90 percent Han? You can only be that homogeneous if you somehow find ways to keep foreigners out. A few yes, like condiments on the spaghetti. That's fine but they want it to be pasta – yellow pasta.»
