Two Major Powers in Captivating Regional Influence and Dynamics: Comparing Foreign Policies of China and United States in Southeast Asia

China and United States, as the biggest economies and major powers in the world, compete for influence and leadership in the Southeast Asian region through different economic integration schemes and geopolitical approaches. This paper attempts to compare the foreign policies of China and the US toward the forms of economic integration and geopolitical approaches in the Southeast Asian region. The authors compare the motivations of major and secondary powers in that region to accept or contest the claims of the US or China. The US is in a more favourable position to demonstrate military power in the region and emphasize human development while China proposed an infrastructure-driven approach, and uses a military approach in the dispute of South China Sea