Southeast Asia cautiously welcomes thaw in US-China relations — South China Morning Post
In Washington, United States, following the summit between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, Southeast Asian countries are cautiously welcoming a thaw in relations between the United States and China. According to analysts, fewer open disputes between the two powers could ease pressure on ASEAN members to choose a side and reduce the intensity of rivalry around the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, the South China Morning Post reports.
Beijing described Xi Jinping's visit, which was his second meeting with Trump in five months, as a step toward constructive and strategically stable relations between China and the United States. The Chinese side also emphasized continued economic engagement, dialogue on artificial intelligence, and Washington's cautious approach to the Taiwan issue.
Concerns over the G2 format
Experts believe that stable, though competitive, relations between the great powers could give countries in the region more room for maneuver. At the same time, Southeast Asia fears a G2 format in which Washington and Beijing make decisions affecting the region without the full participation of ASEAN states.
According to analysts, a longer-lasting détente could provide more room, particularly for Vietnam, whose economy links Chinese production chains with American consumers. At the same time, countries in the region are advised to develop infrastructure, workers' skills, and local suppliers regardless of the future course of US-China relations.
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The South China Sea and Taiwan
The Chinese statement on the summit did not mention the South China Sea. The White House, for its part, said that the US military presence since World War II has helped preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Experts viewed the absence of separate public references to the disputed waters as an effort to avoid public escalation.
At the same time, tensions at sea persist. The Philippine Coast Guard accused China of obstructing a resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal. The China Coast Guard said it lawfully tracked and warned a Philippine vessel delivering supplies to a grounded ship, which Beijing calls illegally positioned there.
Taiwan also remains an important issue for the region, as more than one million citizens of ASEAN countries live and work there, one analyst said. The extension of the US-China trade truce by two months may temporarily support businesses, but competition over supply chains, sensitive technologies, and access to advanced chips continues.
