Where does East Asia stand in the US-China battle for influence?
East Asian countries are increasingly pressured to choose between U.S. and Chinese influence amid their intensifying rivalry. While China has outcompeted the U.S. in trade across the region, the U.S. maintains its status as the top power through military and cultural means. Recent surveys show a divided preference among Southeast Asian nations, with some leaning towards China and others favoring the U.S.
- ▪China's economic growth has threatened the U.S.'s dominant role in East Asia.
- ▪A recent survey found that 52% of Southeast Asian opinion leaders preferred China over the U.S. if forced to choose.
- ▪Geography and history play significant roles in the differing preferences of Southeast Asian countries towards China and the U.S.
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East Asian countries have long balanced U.S. and Chinese influence, but the two countries’ intensifying rivalry is increasingly pushing them to choose a side. China’s explosive economic growth over the past few decades has threatened the United States’s long-standing role as the dominant power in East Asia, with China now outcompeting the U.S. in trade in every East Asian country. Despite this, the U.S. still ranks as the region’s No. 1 power through its military, cultural, and human capital capabilities, per the Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index. Washington and Beijing have spent the last several years consolidating their relationships, pushing countries in the region to pick a side in the power struggle that has come to consume geopolitics worldwide.
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