Sarah Graham of Sydney University's United States Studies Centre said Donald Trump has oscillated a lot on the region during the American election campaign, now in its closing hours.
Dr Graham said if Mr Trump is elected he would need a strong team behind him to help build a vision for the region that governments could be comfortable with.
She said he has questioned the value of America's traditional alliances in the region, particularly Japan.
"He's talked about making allies pay their fair share or walking away.