China ASEAN

A conversation with a longtime Asian economic trend watcher.

The special meeting in Chongqing underscored the region’s increasing economic and political reliance on China.

The meeting comes shortly after a senior Biden administration official visited three Southeast Asian capitals.

The proposed meeting follows a flurry of Chinese engagements with Southeast Asia in recent months.

The onus is on the Southeast Asian bloc to build a regional consensus for a more active role in resolving the crisis.

Since October, China's top diplomat has visited every Southeast Asian nation bar Vietnam.

A reported quid pro quo with Malaysia offers a glimpse into how Beijing will seek to leverage access to COVID-19 vaccines.

As China continues its militarization of the vital seaway, most Southeast Asian nations remain mired in their own problems.

The agenda of Wang Yi’s tour is diplomatic maintenance: the repairing and upgrading of China's relationships with key Southeast Asian partners.

While Xi’s first trip to the country as president will be long on deliverables, they will belie more complex realities undergirding overall ties.

Beijing’s development of new security partnerships in the subregion could have significant geopolitical implications.