Sino-U.S. Strategic Competition in Southeast Asia: China’s Rise and U.S. Foreign Policy Transformation since 9/11*

Asia’s growing economic prosperity led by China’s rise in recent years has caused the spotlight of international relations to turn eastward. Along with rising interest in China’s development, renewed attention has also gravitated towards Southeast Asia, a region slighted in the general discussion of power in the international realm. With Southeast Asia’s growing role as the hub of regional integration and increasing market potential, observers are watchful on how the development of regional trade agreements in the area may shape international relations in East Asia, particularly with the realization of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area. A further concern of China’s growing relations with Southeast Asia is its impact on Sino-US relations and what it entails for the balance of power in the region. The US return to Asia under the Obama administration re-engages the lone superpower with the region and Southeast Asia is an important testing ground of US cordiality towards Asia. Current US foreign policy has departed from the Bush administration’s emphasis on anti-terrorism and seeks engagement with Southeast Asia towards the goal of balancing China’s rise. This article seeks to explain and analyze the significance of Sino-US strategic competition in Southeast Asia. This article is greatly revised from two previous draft papers regarding US foreign policy in Southeast Asi