FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — For years, critics have argued that U.S. foreign policy relegated Southeast Asia from its former perch near the top of the diplomatic totem pole. And it’s true that the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, and the subsequent War on Terror, diverted the spotlight toward the Middle East and Central Asia.

The economic importance of China and India has also preoccupied policy wonks within the Beltway, although some critics, like Hawaii-based academic and author Mohan Malik, have consistently argued that too much hype has been attached to both countries. Read more in The Diplomat.