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China signs record US$213 billion of new ‘belt and road’ deals in 2025: report

China keeps pressure on Cambodia to target cross-border fraud and trafficking

As China’s US exports plunge in 2025, Beijing banks on diversification for 2026 growth

Why the US will fail to use Taiwan to counter China

China-Asean relations

How Asean’s influence on China is growing

News

China

Beijing uses ‘divide and conquer’ tactic with Asean as South China Sea tensions heat up

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Vietnamese President To Lam and his wife, Ngo Phuong Ly (left), visits China in August, meeting President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan (right). Photo: EPA-EFE/Xinhua

As China doubles down on its tactics against the Philippines, it is trying to pull other Southeast Asian nations away from Manila.


‘Tremendous risk’: can Asean unity endure if US-China tensions erupt?

Illustration: Henry Wong

The 10-member regional bloc’s ‘passive neutrality’ stance could fracture if member countries are forced to choose sides, analysts say.


Why China’s Southeast Asia belt and road push could give it edge in critical battleground

The Tegalluar Station in Bandung, Indonesia, is part of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, a landmark project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Photo: Xinhua 

Infrastructure projects such as high-speed rail could help Beijing keep US from coaxing region into its orbit, analysts say.


China’s military in ‘competition for partnerships’ with US in Southeast Asia

Chinese soldiers take part in a joint exercise in Laos in May last year. Photo: Xinhua

Beijing hopes to compel neighbours to consider its interests in the South China Sea and Taiwan, defence analyst says.


Southeast Asia is playing an ever-growing part in China’s investment and diplomatic decisions, particularly as Beijing’s rivalry with Washington heats up. This four-part series examines the relationship.


Series