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The office responsible for managing US-Asean engagement has been shuttered as part of a drive in which more than 1,300 State Dept staffers were shown the door.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
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- The US State Department closed its Asean engagement office on July 11 as part of a "historic" reorganisation, leading to staff layoffs and criticism.
- Experts and politicians worry the move will weaken US engagement with Asean, especially on issues like the South China Sea.
- The State Department defends the changes as streamlining, while critics call it a "purge" that damages expertise and regional diplomacy.
AI generated
AUSTIN (Texas) - A bout of mass layoffs has shaken up America’s diplomatic corps and threatens to unravel the Trump administration’s claim that Asean is important to the United States.
The office responsible for managing US-Asean engagement was shuttered on July 11 as part of what the Department of State is calling a “historic” reorganisation.
