The Trump administration’s effort to reshape the global trading system and reset overseas security commitments is creating an historic inflection point.  Less clear is how far China will be able to capitalize on these dynamics.

As tech competition moves into the biotech sector, China is increasingly shifting its focus to nearby regions to alleviate U.S.-induced supply chain pressures. As part of this transition, Southeast Asia has emerged as a favored destination.

Because strategic, economic, and ideological perceptions of China contain multiple, sometimes contradictory facets in Southeast Asia, receptions of and responses to Beijing diverge across and within state lines.