ABSTRACT
Issues in US relations with the countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations focused on questions related to the situation in Indochina and to the controversy seen in protracted US negotiations with the Philippines over continued US military base. The Philippine bases have supported buildups of US forces and surges of American military operations ranging from the Persian Gulf to Northeast Asia. A US military withdrawal in 1991, and any US decision to downgrade other aspects of support, would increase the perception of political risk in the Philippines, according to US, Japanese, and other foreign business people. The impact of a US withdrawal on the stability of the Philippine government and prospects for continued democracy could be considerable. The US government would have additional time to make and implement decisions and allocate any money connected with adjustments in the Western Pacific force-base structure.
