SE Asia Survey Shows Narrow Preference for United States amid US-China Rivalry

If ASEAN were forced to choose between China and the United States, a majority of respondents to a survey of residents of the Southeast Asian bloc would choose Uncle Sam, according to a Singaporean think-tank report published Thursday. But the survey by the ASEAN Studies Center at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute also found significant support for China and “a trust deficit” toward the United States.

Of the survey’s 1,300 respondents, 53.6 percent said ASEAN should opt to align itself with the United States, were it forced to choose between the strategic rivals. Yet, “support for China cannot be under-estimated,” said the State of Southeast Asia: 2020 Survey Report.

“The majority of respondents from seven ASEAN member states choose to align their country with China: Laos (73.9%), Brunei (69.1%), Myanmar (61.5%), Malaysia (60.7%), Cambodia (57.7%), Thailand (52.1%), and Indonesia (52%),” the survey said. “In comparison, strong support for alignment with the US is found in Vietnam (85.5%), the Philippines (82.5%) and Singapore (61.3%).”

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