The second Trump administration’s trade policies and assertive defense diplomacy have unsettled key Asian allies, straining some relationships while drawing others into deeper military cooperation. This approach has raised concerns about diminishing strategic autonomy among U.S. partners and the potential for pushing them closer to China. (Photo: Feng Yongbin / CHINA DAILY)The second Trump administration’s ‘fire and fury’ foreign policy has shocked and rankled America’s closest allies, especially in Asia. While America’s defense assistance is crucial to augmenting the Philippines’ limited deterrence capability, it also risks undermining the Southeast Asian nation’s ability to develop strategic autonomy after a century of over-reliance on America. As things stand, the Trump administration is simultaneously straining ties with some allies while constraining others through an embrace that limits their strategic autonomy.