China and South-East Asia: Has the Die Been Cast?
China is exerting pressure on its surrounding area in South-East Asia to implement its concept of a “community with a shared destiny”.
An increased presence, numerous dialogs and joint projects play a part in restricting the margin of maneuver for the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) members with reduced effectiveness. The health crisis has enabled Beijing to deploy its diplomatic resources. By coordinating diplomacy and military pressure in the China Sea, China is marginalizing the other – Western – actors in the region.
Sophie Boisseau du Rocher is Associate Research Fellow, Center for Asian Studies, Ifri.
Article published in Politique étrangère, Vol. 86, No. 2, Summer 2021.