Overview

• The 2025 Southeast Asia Influence Index gives China an overall score of 65 out of 100, a one-point lead over the U.S., and ranks it first in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
• China is the region’s largest market and supplier, taking about 20% of exports and providing roughly 26% of imports, with Chinese firms delivering 21% of new project investment in 2015–2024, up from 13% in the prior decade.
• The study says U.S. clout is sliding under President Trump’s tariffs, deep foreign-aid cuts of 83% and tighter student visas, even as Washington remains strongest in defence networks and cultural influence.
• Japan places third overall and Australia rises to fourth, with Canberra ranked second in regional defence ties and serving as Timor‑Leste’s leading diplomatic partner and aid provider.
• Influence remains multi-dimensional across the region, as Southeast Asian states diversify partners, intra‑ASEAN ties outweigh any single external power, and the Philippines leans on Australia and Japan for security during South China Sea tensions.