布希政府的東南亞政策輪廓已經逐漸浮現,那就是回到以往美國亞太政策的常軌:對美國有利的亞太權力平衡、擴大美國對此地區的貿易和投資機會、和反對此區域內出現具有敵意的強權。在這種大戰略下,原本被柯林頓政府所忽視的東南亞國家,其戰略及安全角色勢將會被肯定,尤其印尼的政治發展會受到布希政府的特別關注。
The Bush Administration’s new foreign policy toward Southeast Asia is a reversion to tradition: maintaining a balance of power equilibrium that favors the United states, enhancing the U.S. trade and investment opportunities in this area, and preventing the emergence of regional hegemony. Under Bush’s new policy, Southeast Asia area will receive reasonable attention. Indonesia will be the United States’ prime target due to Indonesia’s complicated political, religious, and ethnic situations.