Every strategist knows that wars are not just won by force. Soft power matters, which is why the Trump administration¡¯s latest move to bar Harvard University from enrolling international students will resonate so badly across Asia.
America and China are already locked in a battle for influence ¡ª but Washington risks sabotaging those goals. Even before the Harvard controversy emerged Thursday, the U.S. Embassy in Singapore posted a video on social media last week likening China¡¯s sweeping South China Sea territorial claims to disputes over shared spaces in Singapore¡¯s public housing blocks. It did more than just raise eyebrows.
The online clip landed with a thud, touching a national nerve. More than 80% of Singaporeans live in public housing ¡ª a highly prized source of social and economic stability, and many voiced their complaints online.
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