“The US should not try to make Asean choose. That would not only be unfair, but if Asean is forced to choose, you would choose your neighbour, China, obviously.
“This is because Asean cannot do without its economic relations with China. That’s not even imaginable,” said Sachs, a professor at Columbia University and UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network president.
He added that Asean should have good relations with all parts of the world rather than be in alliance with other countries or groupings.
“The idea is that Asean is a very open region, and trades with the US, Europe, China, and others. So, the US should not try to force Asean into making such choices,” he said during a dialogue on “Asean amidst shifting global order” organised by Sunway University and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation.
Sachs made his comments in response to a question on whether strategic neutrality is still a viable option for Asean.
For Malaysia, and Asean, China remains their largest trading partner. In 2024, Malaysia-China trade hit a record US$212 billion (RM917.4 billion), marking the 16th consecutive year China was Malaysia’s No 1 trading partner.
Since 2013, Asean-China trade has grown on average 7.5% a year, reaching US$982.3 billion (RM4.25 trillion) in 2024.
A recent Bloomberg report said the administration of US president Donald Trump is preparing to pressure countries seeking reductions or exemptions on US reciprocal tariffs to curb trade with China.
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent also said countries negotiating trade deals with the US should “approach China as a group” together with Washington.
In response, China has warned countries against striking an economic deal with the US at its expense, ratcheting up the temperature in a spiralling trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.
Sachs said if the US tries to put on secondary sanctions and impede Asean’s economic relations with China, it would “have to be resisted”.
“That’s because neighbours need to trade, have common infrastructures and transport (links), manage riversheds, and so forth.”
He said the 10-nation regional grouping should work closely with China in areas such as physical infrastructure and connectivity.
“This is a neighbourhood. The Belt and Road Initiative is a very important and positive initiative. It implements fast rail, renewable energy, and digital systems that are for everybody’s mutual benefit,” he said.
Sachs added that Asean’s goal should be openness to all. “Be calm and don’t get into a conflict. We don’t want to be in the middle of your conflict, and there is no reason for conflict at all,” he said.
In this regard, he suggested that foreign military bases in the Asian region be eliminated. The US has military bases in the Philippines, Japan and South Korea, all within striking range of its adversary China.
“Over time, I believe the US should leave (its bases in the region). We can’t afford it anyway.
“President Trump says Japan and South Korea should pay for our services. I think Japan and Korea should say ‘thank you very much but we don’t need to pay’. If you want to leave, that’s also fine,” he said.