November 2012
Southeast Asian states risk becoming pawns in a geopolitical clash between two extra-regional superpowers. This report analyses how the states in the region are responding to the challenge posed by the strategic interests of the US and China in their geography and economy.
If the Southeast Asian states are to take advantage of the opportunities presented by China’s rise and the United States’ pivot, they must stand together in the geopolitical contest currently taking place in the region. However, this is not an easy task: regional states are caught in what game theory would view as a classic ‘prisoners’ dilemma’ that will require a deep degree of trust to escape.
Contributors
Executive Summary
Nicholas Kitchen, Editor, IDEAS Reports
The Clash
Indispensable Nation? The United States in Southeast Asia
Michael Cox
China and Southeast Asia
Odd Arne Westad
Southeast Asia between China and the United States
Munir Majid
The Theatre of Competition
Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos)
Ang Cheng Guan
Indonesia
Rizal Sukma
Malaysia
Johan Saravanamuttu
Myanmar
Jürgen Haacke
The Philippines
Emmanuel Yujuico
Singapore
Robyn Klingler Vidra
Thailand
Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Conclusion: The Regional Dynamic Forging a Regional Response
Munir Majid