Wang Yi Courts SE Asia as US Influence Falters
SkimNews Take
Regional instability and a perceived vacuum of U.S. leadership are creating an opening for China to solidify its economic and diplomatic ties, even as the EU simultaneously gains traction as an alternative partner.
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- Wang Yi completed a five-day tour of Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar ending Sunday, presenting China as a steady partner amid energy-price shocks from the Iran war and uncertainty over US tariff policy.
- The ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute's annual State of Southeast Asia survey found a slim majority of respondents would now align with China over the US — a reversal from 2025, when 52% preferred Washington — and 55.6% expect relations with Beijing to improve over the next three years.
- On April 22, Wang and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun joined their Cambodian counterparts for the inaugural "China-Cambodia 2+2 strategic dialogue," a format that institutionalizes political and security alignment beyond trade ties.
- Wang pressed Cambodia and Thailand to crack down on transnational scam compounds, with Bangkok agreeing to deepen cooperation on cybercrime — a sensitive issue given Chinese nationals caught up in trafficking networks.
- The Thai-Cambodian border conflict remained unresolved: the October Kuala Lumpur ceasefire, witnessed by President Trump, collapsed, as did a second truce after December fighting; Thailand's new PM Anutin Charnvirakul has vowed a lasting solution.
- In Myanmar, Wang met junta leader Min Aung Hlaing following disputed elections, reaffirming support for sovereignty and pushing progress on the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor.
Why it matters: For Southeast Asian governments hedging between superpowers, the ISEAS flip from a 52% US preference last year to a slim China majority is a measurable signal that Washington's tariff confrontations are eroding its regional standing. Beijing's offer of a 2+2 security framework with Cambodia and peacemaker positioning in the Thai-Cambodian conflict gives it new institutional footholds at exactly the moment US leverage is weakening.
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