China’s relations with Southeast Asian countries combine deep economic interdependence with political asymmetry, territorial disputes, infrastructure diplomacy, domestic political influence, and concerns about strategic autonomy. Trade, investment, tourism, digital infrastructure, financing, critical minerals, and the Belt and Road Initiative have expanded China’s regional presence, while disputes in the South China Sea and differing national interests continue to constrain political convergence.This panel examines how Southeast Asian states engage, negotiate with, and respond to China’s growing influence. It welcomes contributions on ASEAN-China relations, the South China Sea, economic statecraft, infrastructure and debt, digital connectivity, elite politics, public perceptions, foreign-policy diversification, hedging strategies, and the interaction between domestic politics and external alignment.
The panel encourages comparative work across Southeast Asian countries and analyses that foreground regional agency rather than treating the region solely as an arena of great-power competition.
