How China is using military ties to expand its reach in Southeast Asia
Joint exercises and arms sales help Beijing to offer itself as a regional counterweight to the United States
China has been stepping up its military engagement with Southeast Asian nations, a move seen as an attempt to counter balance the United States in the region.
Last week’s visit to China by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong saw the two countries reaffirming their commitment to conduct more joint drills in the latest sign that Beijing is strengthening its defence ties to Southeast Asian countries.
Analysts have highlighted how Chinese arms exports and the country’s regional military strength have helped improve its bilateral relationships and allowed Beijing to assert itself as an alternative to the United States, which has been closely involved in the region since the end of the Second World War.
In the midst of a rapidly changing security landscape, how significant is China’s regional military involvement?
Malaysia
The southeast Asian nation has seen its ties with China deepen in recent years after Kuala Lumpur’s cash-strapped government increasingly opted to do business with China’s state-linked weapons suppliers.