Trade globalisation means that American big businesses will remain engaged with Asia and the world at large despite President-elect Donald Trump’s protectionist rhetoric, said two prominent academics.

“I’m not too concerned that corporate America is going to fall in line with…bad economic policies that Trump stood for during the election season. At the end of the day, CEOs have a responsibility to their shareholders,” said Professor Bates Gill of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at Australian National University.

Professor Michael Brown of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University added that the US is deeply engaged in international affairs. “That’s not going to disappear next week, regardless of what Donald Trump wants to do. It is in the US’ interest to continue to be engaged at a deep level”

Gill and Brown were speaking in Singapore last Thursday (12 January) at “US-Asia Relations: The Next Four Years and Beyond”.  The dialogue, attended by more than 150 people, was organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and moderated by its dean Professor Joseph Liow.