China's Power in the Regional Context (II): Southeast Asia

Abstract

China's shadow has always loomed large over Southeast Asia. This chapter examines China's power in Southeast Asia in the post-Cold War period, and is organised in five parts. First, it reviews the strategic goals of China and Southeast Asia vis-a-vis each other, to set the context for China's power projection in the region. The main sections of the paper then analyse in turn the political, economic and military dimensions of China's power in Southeast Asia. Each of these thematic discussions highlights the trajectory of China's power using key indicators, evaluates the impacts of China's power, and compares the role and responses of the United States and its power projection in the region. The final section identifies the major trends, stress-points and opportunities in China's exercise of power in Southeast Asia in the next decade. Show more