If there is one thing about the online response to the United States' "rebalance" to Asia in Singapore and Malaysia, it is the lack of sustained popular discussion. Most vocal on the topic are professional pieces by foreign policy-related think tanks and institutions. The professional sites tend to offer more systematic analyses of the rebalance and broader related issues. In comparison, nonprofessional commentary on blogs and other sites tend to be event-driven and focuses on particular episodes relating to the rebalance. Readers of the nonprofessional sites tend to be members of the public with a general interest in current affairs, but not necessarily regional or international politics.

Professional, Institutional Sites

Web sites operated by think tanks in Malaysia and Singapore contain some in-depth material on the U.S. rebalance, but more generally, information on U.S.-East Asian relations and U.S.-China relations. Good examples of these Web sites are those of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS; http://www.rsis.edu.sg/), the Institute for Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia (http://www.isis.org.my/), and the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (http://siiaonline.org/content.aspx?page=Home). These sites feature pieces that examine everything from the overall strategic outlook on the region to analyses of specific policies. For instance, the ISIS Web site featured an article by Firdaos Rosli (2012) that came out in New Straits Times: "Which Trade Pact Should We Pick?" The article tried to explore the pros and cons of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which respectively reflect the U.S. rebalance and regional responses. Likewise, RSIS Commentaries regularly carry pieces considering the various aspects of tensions in the South China Sea, including the U.S. and Chinese roles.

Mostly written by academics and policy makers, these sites tend to be reference points for specialist debates about the rebalance and U.S.-China relations. Indeed, the official affiliations of some of the authors published by these sites suggest that they are fora for floating trial balloons or the informal interpretation of official positions. Authors are sometimes officials or active participants in quasi-official track two or...