Survey reveals that China has surpassed the United States as Southeast Asia's preferred ally.

• If the Southeast Asia region were to align itself in the ongoing U.S.-China conflict, a new survey found that China is the preferred choice over the U.S.
• Since 2020, Beijing has surpassed Washington as the preferred choice for the first time, with the U.S.'s percentage dropping from 61.1% to 49.5%.

In the event of being compelled to choose sides, most Southeast Asians would opt for China rather than the U.S., despite some countries that fear Beijing's South China Sea claims preferring Washington, as per a regional poll.

Beijing has surpassed Washington as the preferred choice for the first time since 2020, with the U.S.'s percentage dropping from 61.1% to 49.5%.

ASEAN Studies Centre at ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute conducted a survey between Jan. 3 and Feb. 23, with 1,994 respondents from various sectors including academia, business, government, civil society, and the media.

The highest number of participants in the survey came from Singapore and Indonesia, and they were all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The survey showed that China, with over 50% of respondents, was the most strategically relevant partner for ASEAN, surpassing the U.S., while Japan remained the most trusted major power in the region.

For four consecutive years, China and ASEAN have been each other's largest trading partners, with a total trade volume of $911.7 billion in 2023.

The report stated that half of the respondents expressed distrust toward China, with 45.5% fearing Beijing could use its economic and military power to threaten their country's interests and sovereignty.

The top concern of the Philippines and Vietnam in the South China Sea is China's aggressive behavior, with the Philippines expressing this concern at 90.2% and Vietnam at 72.5%.

Last month, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the President of the Philippines, stated to Bloomberg that his government's assertions over certain parts of the South China Sea should not be perceived as antagonizing China.

He stated that it was not poking the bear, but rather they were attempting to keep things under control and continue the dialogue at every level.

Despite Beijing dismissing their claims, Vietnam has asserted sovereignty over islands in the South China Sea.

The survey found that among respondents in the Philippines and Vietnam, the majority (83.3% and 79%, respectively) prefer to align with the U.S. over China.

Kenddrick Chan of LSE IDEAS pointed out that although China has made progress in winning over public opinion in Southeast Asia, its most contentious territorial disputes are still in the region.

Nearly half of survey respondents said that ASEAN should strengthen its resilience and unity to withstand pressure from the U.S. and China.

Unemployment and economic recession fears remain a major concern for Southeast Asians, with 57.7% of respondents citing these issues. The survey suggests that China's economic slowdown may be contributing to these concerns.

The Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023 and the subsequent Houthi attacks in the Red Sea may have indirect impacts on energy and food prices through supply chain disruptions, even though they are geographically distant.

ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute's director and CEO, Choi Shing Kwok, stated in a release that this year's survey results reveal heightened regional concerns about economic issues and the potential negative impact of unrestrained geopolitical rivalry on the region's interests in the short to medium term.

"The region is hopeful that major powers can cooperate on issues of mutual benefit and welcomes other major powers to engage more closely with ASEAN."

On Monday, Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, had discussions with Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia's president-elect, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

China sees its ties with Indonesia as strategic and long-term, and is committed to strengthening all-encompassing strategic cooperation with Indonesia.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi invited ministers from Laos, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste to visit China from April 2 to 5 to strengthen cooperation.