The State of Southeast Asia Survey 2025

Published: 8 Apr 2025

Authors: Sharon Seah|Eugene R.L. Tan

Despite some apprehension about its actions, Beijing continues to retain considerable weight among Southeast Asian elites. This should improve if China learns to temper its assertiveness, particularly in the South China Sea.

Southeast Asia has long been a priority in China’s strategic calculus as Beijing’s strategic backyard and a key target of its neighbourhood diplomacy. Despite the US besting China on a forced binary question, China retains considerable weight in regional assessments. Looking further, it will do well in regional perceptions if it addresses Southeast Asia’s apprehensions about its behaviour, particularly in the South China Sea.

For full article, please open the link:

https://fulcrum.sg/beijing-retains-considerable-weight-in-regional-perceptions/

The article was published by ISEAS.

IRSEA and ISEAS have agreed to enter into a relationship of cooperation.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position or view of IRSEA