Letters | Asean is not choosing sides, but strategically maximising space
Readers discuss how Southeast Asian governments have gained bargaining power, the benefits of cheap public transport, and a harbourfront project
For much of the past decade, Southeast Asia has been portrayed as a strategic prize in the intensifying rivalry between the US and China. Headlines often frame the region as a battleground for influence, as if Asean members are passive actors waiting to be pulled into rival camps.
At the same time, the United States remains indispensable in finance, advanced technology, security cooperation and higher education. For many Southeast Asian states, prosperity depends on maintaining both relationships simultaneously.
The US-China rivalry has, paradoxically, expanded the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ room for manoeuvre.