As US officials play down the prolonged stalemate regarding the confirmation of K.T. McFarland – a former top aide to US President Donald Trump – as ambassador to Singapore, some observers say the development raises further doubts over the coherence of America’s Asia policy, writes Bhavan Jaipragas for the South China Morning Post. Trump nominated K.T. McFarland to be U.S. ambassador to Singapore in May, removing her as a deputy national security adviser less than four months after she was brought on by Michael Flynn. In July, she was questioned in writing by US Senator Cory Booker on whether she had ever spoken to Flynn about his contacts with Mr Sergey Kislyak, who was then the Russian ambassador to Washington, before Trump took office.