Superpower Rivalries and Regional Interests: Southeast Asia, China and the US

This academic and policy panel features four scholars from Columbia University who will discuss with the audience how Southeast Asian states are navigating domestic and international developments and what their choices portend for regional stability and global relations. China’s changing political economy and society often bear great consequences on Chinese foreign policy towards its neighbors including Southeast Asia.Xiaobo Lu will examine domestic developments such as the emerging middle class, new technology, and mass media, and their possible impact on China’s foreign relations. Andy Nathan will consider debates that are going on in the US over whether, and how, US Asia strategy needs to change in response to China’s growing assertiveness in greater Asia and beyond. Developments within Southeast Asia are crucial in understanding the region’s entanglements with the larger world. Duncan McCargo will discuss recent domestic political developments in the Philippines and Thailand, asking how far Duterte’s election and the forthcoming August 7 Thai constitutional referendum offer indications of broader regional trends. Ann Marie Murphy will discuss the divergent ways Southeast Asian states appear to be responding to Sino-American rivalry and the implications for ASEAN cohesion.