China Slowly Making Security Inroads in Southeast Asia, Report Says

China’s efforts to build up its security engagement with the nations of Southeast Asia are starting to make progress, Sydney’s Lowy Institute Analysis said in a new report, although the United States remains by far the region’s most influential security player.

The report, published yesterday, analyzed Southeast Asia’s defense agreements, dialogues, and joint military exercises with ten countries: Australia, Canada, China, France, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

It noted a broad expansion of these engagements over the past decade, as Southeast Asian nations have sought to diversify their defense partnerships in a context of growing strategic competition between China and the United States. As a result, the report said, “the landscape for defense cooperation in Southeast Asia is becoming more complex and contested.”

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