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How do SEA countries hedge against US-China rivalry? With Prof Cheng-Chwee Kuik
Manage episode 489029234 series 3640613
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Southeast Asia isn’t choosing sides—it’s hedging.
In this episode of East Asia Pulse, EAI Deputy Director Dr Chen Gang speaks with Prof Cheng-Chwee Kuik of the National University of Malaysia about how Southeast Asian countries are navigating intensifying U.S.-China tensions.
Prof Kuik unpacks the logic of hedging—why it’s a deliberate, adaptive strategy—and reflects on how the region’s deepening ties with China bring both opportunities and risks.
Key Highlights:
00:00 How Southeast Asia-China relations have evolved in recent years
03:59 How pragmatic considerations drive Southeast Asian states’ hedging policies
09:40 The evolution of “dual hierarchies” in the Asian order, with the US traditionally leading the security hierarchy and China leading the economic hierarchy.
13:46 Potential risks and challenges amid growing economic ties between Southeast Asia and China
16:44 Future trends in Southeast Asia-China relations
This podcast episode was recorded on 29 May, 2025.
East Asia Pulse is a podcast produced by the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS). It provides in-depth analyses of political, economic and strategic trends in East Asia.
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