Blinken Warns Against China's Actions in Southeast Asia

During the 12th ASEAN-US Summit in Vientiane, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Southeast Asian leaders about China's 'increasingly dangerous' actions in the South and East China Seas, emphasizing the US commitment to support freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos echoed these concerns, highlighting hostile actions by China against Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea and calling for initiatives to enhance maritime domain awareness and safety in the region. Meanwhile, the US is seeking to boost its shipbuilding capabilities through partnerships with Asian allies, as it faces a significant decline in its commercial shipbuilding industry, which now produces less than one percent of the world's large ocean-going vessels compared to China. Experts like Gordon Chang argue that the Chinese regime perceives the US as an existential threat, which complicates any potential cooperation between the two nations. The situation reflects a broader geopolitical context where both the US and its allies are responding to perceived threats from China, especially as the 2024 elections approach with allegations of Chinese interference in down-ballot races.