Publication

This policy brief discusses US President Barack Obama's trip to Thailand in November 2012, where he attended the East Asia Summit. The author argues that his visit reaffirmed a relationship that had been in drift, if not disrepair, for the past five years, and addressed an underlying question in US-Thai relations since the end of the Cold War: what is the purpose of the treaty alliance in the 21st century? Possible visions for a renewed alliance are examined through the lens of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).