U.S China Relations: Implications for South East Asia
The Indo-Pacific is a region of great economic and strategic interest for the major powers in the region – US, China, Japan, India and other middle powers. It is also the major region of vital importance for the US strategic objectives and of equal importance for China to achieve its BRI aspirations and security objectives. In the increasing rivalry between these two powers to dominate the region, both are competing though at times cooperating, leading possibly to a situation of Thucydides Trap which may lead to war. Knowing the complexity of this relation, the countries in Southeast Asia are forced to play a subservient role with much caution to take care of their national interest, leading to a complex situation of international relations in the region. Southeast Asia always has been an important geographical region. It was a region of Indian and Chinese civilizational influence in early history, area of Western rival colonial occupation, region of ideological conflicts during the Cold War, and also of great rivalry between the US and China in the post-Cold War era. With strategic sea lanes of communication – the Malacca, Lombok, Sunda Straits, the South China Sea and other sea lanes of communication and given its economic importance, the region has become a region of strategic interest and rivalry for all major powers. The countries in the region are caught in this complex situation and they are carefully hedging between China and the US with much suspicion to safeguard their vital national interest, particularly with China with whom in the past they had some bitter experiences and currently have some economic issues and security conflicts.
