Can the US ever match China’s concrete economic offers to Asean?
- In the US-China battle for influence in Southeast Asia, Beijing has always won hands down in delivering the economic goods, while Washington is centred on security
- If the Biden administration is serious about its commitment, the US needs to start putting its money where its mouth is, experts say
“Distance tests a horse’s strength, and time reveals a person’s integrity”, Xi said, before launching into the various forms of assistance that Beijing would provide to help Southeast Asia tackle and recover from the pandemic, such as contributing to a pandemic fund and providing additional vaccines.
In a statement later released by the White House, Washington announced a raft of similar initiatives, but valued at almost 15 times less than what their Chinese counterparts offered.
This lopsided approach needed to be addressed, said Hoo Chiew-Ping, a senior lecturer in strategic studies and international relations at the National University of Malaysia, “if the Biden administration wishes to show commitment to the region”, adding that additional economic aid from the US would “be highly appreciated by regional countries”.
