Survey: Majority of Southeast Asians Favor China Over US
The Facts
For the first time documented in a regularly occurring annual survey, a majority of Southeast Asians have said they would prefer to align with China over the US if forced to choose between the rival superpowers.
According to the State of Southeast Asia 2024 survey published Tuesday by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, 50.5% favored China, while 49.5% opted for the US. At 75.1%, Malaysia topped the countries with the highest preference for the PRC.
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
The findings are impressive evidence that the era of US hegemony is finally ending. People now know that China is the region's most influential economic and geopolitical power and trust that Beijing's relations with ASEAN countries will continue to improve. Meanwhile, there's widespread concern about the US' growing strategic and political regional footprint. The world has entered an era of multipolarity, and China will continue to be a driving force behind this trend.
Anti-China narrative
The results are not as clear-cut as the headlines suggest. Rather, they indicate a lack of unified preference for China over the US in the notoriously divided ASEAN bloc. While Beijing's economic influence is growing, many countries fear its expansionist ambitions and are tightening their US defense ties. China's growing influence is acknowledged but doesn't translate into approval, and as a trusted partner, Washington is ready to support the region in bolstering its internal resilience.
