Southeast Asia still under pressure amid US-China trade truce: analysts

For many countries around the world, the diplomatic detente between the world’s two economic giants might reduce the pressure they face to pick sides in the far-ranging rivalry.

Yet, as Southeast Asia enjoys a respite from the tensions, analysts warn that the region remains on the front lines of an entrenched geopolitical competition with no easy path forward.

Xu Weijun of the Institute of Public Policy at the South China University of Technology in Guangzhou said “smooth progress” in the China-US trade talks “could afford third countries more room to manoeuvre and sustain a hedging strategy”.

“But if the negotiations hit an impasse, it could escalate strategic tensions and bring back the intense pressure for nations to choose a side,” Xu said of the dialogue between Beijing and Washington.