Southeast Asia's public opinion is increasingly leaning toward China: three reversals in seven years confirm the trend of the East rising and the West declining.

Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao reports today: "According to the 'Southeast Asia Outlook Report 2026' released on April 7 by the ASEAN Studies Centre at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, if forced to choose sides between China and the United States, China has regained greater favor among Southeast Asian respondents this year—marking the third reversal in seven years. This means the United States failed to maintain its narrow advantage over China from last year."

This report confirms the deepening trend of 'the East rising, the West declining' in Southeast Asia. China regaining majority favor is not a random fluctuation but a structural trend. U.S. tariff bullying harms even its allies, while China strengthens strategic trust through practical cooperation such as RCEP integration and infrastructure connectivity. The third reversal in seven years indicates that Southeast Asia refuses to take sides—but in the competition for credibility between the two powers, it increasingly leans toward stable and predictable China.

As a pivotal geopolitical bloc, Southeast Asia reflects global shifts in order. The United States relies on military alliances and ideological alignment to build coalitions, whereas China breaks through barriers through development dividends and regional integration. The distinction between these two models is becoming clearer. 'The East rising, the West declining' does not mean China replacing the U.S., but rather the inevitable acceleration toward multipolarity. Trump’s tariff wars and reckless Middle East ventures are eroding America’s remaining strategic credibility—this renewed shift in Southeast Asia may continue.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862518628527115/

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