As the reality of Donald Trump’s presidential election victory sinks in, Asian leaders and investors are starting to contemplate the changes he will make in US policies and their implications.

On the economic front, short-term uncertainties could sap global investment activity and trade in the near term, while the long-term risk is that Asia could be affected by more hostile US trade policies. How Mr Trump behaves toward China will also have a major bearing on regional security, given Beijing’s growing diplomatic clout and adventurism in the South China Sea.

Clearly, the 45th US president’s focus on inward-looking policies in line with his campaign promise to “Make America Great Again” could result in increased protectionism, higher tariffs and even the scrapping of trade deals.

… “Asian countries have been framed by his campaign that they’re stealing American jobs,” said Kaewkamol Pitakdumrongkit, assistant professor with the Centre for Multilateralism Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.