US OR CHINA: WILL SOUTHEAST ASIA HAVE TO PICK A SIDE?

Overview

Amid brewing tensions between the world's two superpowers, Southeast Asia continues to leverage on China's economic engine, while enjoying a security blanket provided by the US. As both sides continue to compete for influence over the region, ASEAN states find themselves entangled in the throes of their conflict. From increasing militarisation in the South China Sea, and the deteriorating of decades-old alliances, to a massive manufacturing diaspora in the region, we examine the quandary the Sino-US rivalry has created for Southeast Asia.