Overview

• China launched a diplomatic outreach to Southeast Asia, with Xi Jinping meeting Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto and foreign ministers from Laos, Vietnam, and East Timor.
• The outreach comes amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea and efforts to strengthen maritime cooperation in the region by the U.S. and its allies.
• Xi promised to deepen strategic cooperation with Indonesia, focusing on maritime affairs, economy, trade, and poverty alleviation.
• Beijing hopes to encourage Southeast Asian countries to not let territorial disputes overshadow their overall relationships with China.
• A survey shows a nearly even split among ASEAN countries between aligning with China or the U.S., highlighting the region's strategic balancing act.