China’s Belt and Road Initiative helped build an industrial complex in Indonesia—but contestations at the local and national levels compelled Chinese players to adapt to rapidly shifting Indonesian cross-currents.

Join Carnegie for a conversation about how local players have fared in three Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian countries—Algeria, Egypt, and Indonesia—in pushing Chinese technology firms to meet their developmental needs.

In Indonesia, Huawei and ZTE have become trusted partners of the government and private firms looking to upgrade their telecommunications infrastructure. Watch Gatra Priyandita explain how these two Chinese telecommunications giants became dominant forces in Indonesia's tech sector.

Iskandar Malaysia is the heart of Malaysia's real estate sector. After China launched its Belt and Road Initiative, the region also became a hotbed for Chinese investment and fierce political competition between local politicians and the federal government. Watch Guanie Lim explain how China was able to navigate Malaysia's tricky politics to promote its real estate investments.

Despite ambivalence about Chinese intentions in Indonesia’s political and defense establishment, Chinese telecoms firms have successfully used strategies of localization to position themselves as trusted cybersecurity providers to the country.

Panelists will discuss how local players in three Southeast Asian countries—the Philippines, Malaysia, and Myanmar—pushed Chinese actors to adapt to local conditions.

A high-end real estate development that caters to Chinese entrepreneurs became caught up in divisive Malaysian politics. Chinese investors are learning hard lessons about how to navigate local turf wars and political risks.

Outside national capitals, Chinese players are engaging local actors, from mayors, to community groups, to faith-based organizations in dynamic ways. This, in turn, is both entrenching China’s influence and compelling Chinese actors to adapt to and meet local demands.

China has long been one of Myanmar's most significant economic partners, investing in infrastructure projects such as copper mining and energy. But how did the Myanmar coup in 2021 impact their bilateral relations? Xue Gong details the economic relationship between the two countries and how China's engagement with Myanmar has adapted to the country's new political reality.

China has invested heavily in infrastructure development in the Philippines, but political leaders such as President Rodrigo Duterte have used these projects for political gains. Alvin Camba explains the political maneuvering behind these China-funded projects and how Filipino leaders can promote more equitable development finance projects.

A lively discussion of powerful similarities and intriguing differences across four regions—Southeast Asia, Latin America, Central Asia, and South Asia—and what can be learned by comparing local strategies and Chinese responses around infrastructure, investment, and training.

Chinese economic players in Myanmar initially relied on ties to the government and ruling elites. Faced with controversy, they turned to actors that local communities trust and listen to as de facto partners and informal advisers.