China is Outpacing the U.S. in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is seeking a greater role in shaping global cooperation, as countries across the region push for institutions that deliver tangible results while preserving ASEAN's centrality and strategic autonomy. A new report, Voices From the Region: Reimagining Global Cooperation From Southeast Asia, published by Verve Research, is the focus of this episode, which is divided into two parts.  Part 1 features Verve Research's Founder and Executive Director Natalie Sambhi and Deputy Director Blake Berger, who join Eric to talk about the report's findings on global governance, ASEAN, and great-power competition. Part 2 features Thammasat University's Prapimphan Chiengkul and Carnegie's Elina Noor, who contributed chapters on the environmental and social costs of critical-mineral mining and digital infrastructure. 📌 Topics Covered in This Episode Southeast Asia's Role in Global Cooperation Reforming ASEAN and International Institutions Navigating U.S.-China Great-Power Competition Critical Minerals and Environmental Costs AI Infrastructure and Local Communities Rethinking Security Through Human Needs Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander I @verve_research Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish:  French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas  

China is using a renewed diplomatic push to expand its room for maneuver as global power shifts. Xi Jinping's visits to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Central Asia, and Egypt reflect an effort to strengthen alternative governance forums while working within institutions China has benefited from. For much of the Global South, however, the choice is not between Washington and Beijing but maintaining relationships with both. That same "both-and" approach is emerging in technology. Chinese open-source AI models could gain traction across the Global South through lower costs, greater technological sovereignty, and established Chinese hardware and distribution networks. The result could be a more fragmented AI ecosystem in which Chinese technology becomes deeply embedded in local businesses and products. Andrew Polk, Co-Founder of Trivium China, joins Eric to examine China's evolving global strategy, including Xi's diplomacy, the India-China thaw and BRICS, and the growing competition between Chinese and U.S. AI in the Global South. 📌 Topics Covered in This Episode Xi Jinping's renewed diplomatic push and China's vision of a multipolar world Why the Global South is hedging between China and the United States BRICS, the SCO, and China's emerging alternative governance architecture The India-China thaw and growing competition across the Indian Ocean How Chinese AI could gain ground across Global South markets China's evolving role in global trade, technology, and the international order Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander  Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish:  French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

For generations of Chinese readers, Taiwanese writer Sanmao offered a rare window into Africa through her bestselling stories of life in the Western Sahara. But her accounts also carried colonial-era stereotypes, romanticized her role in the region, and included stories that historical evidence suggests were embellished or never happened. Sanmao's legacy reveals a more complicated history of how Africa has been imagined in Chinese popular culture. From her 1970s writing to films such as Wolf Warrior 2, Chinese depictions have sometimes reproduced a familiar colonial framework in which Africans become backdrops, objects of fascination, or people in need of saving. Jacob Kushner, an international journalist and author, joins Eric to examine Sanmao's enduring influence, the myths and colonial perspectives embedded in her writing, and what her legacy reveals about China's evolving views of Africa. Show Notes Now Voyager Magazine: Storyteller of the Sahara by Jacob Kushner 📌 Topics Covered in This Episode: 🇹🇼 Sanmao's enduring influence on Chinese views of Africa 🏜️ How she portrayed life in the Western Sahara 📖 The myths and embellishments in her stories 🇪🇸 Colonialism and the Spanish Sahara 🌍 Chinese literature and colonial stereotypes about Africa 🎬 From Sanmao to Wolf Warrior 2: Changing images of Africa 🔎 The challenges of fact-checking stories from distant places 📰 The case for deeper, long-form international journalism Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander I @JacobKushner Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: chinaglobalsouth  Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

China's growing commercial footprint across the Global South is creating new opportunities, but major knowledge gaps remain over how Chinese businesses build trust, negotiate, and form partnerships. Guanxi, institutional norms, and long-term relationships can matter as much as contracts and competitive pricing. At the same time, Chinese companies are still adapting unevenly to local cultures. Firms operating in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East increasingly recognize the value of local relationships and cultural knowledge, but many continue to prioritize speed and product specifications over local expectations. Sun Muyang, author of How Chinese Business Actually Works: 15 Themes on the Institutional, Historical, and Human Logic Beneath the Surface, joins Eric to discuss the logic of Chinese business, including guanxi and trust-building, competitive pricing, and Chinese companies' adaptation to Global South markets. Show Notes How Chinese Business Actually Works: 15 Themes on the Institutional, Historical, and Human Logic Beneath the Surface (English Edition) by Muyang SUN and Joyce XIE  📌 Topics Covered in This Episode Guanxi and Trust in Chinese Business The Hidden Logic Behind Chinese Business Practices Reading Chinese Business Signals Understanding Chinese Pricing and Competitiveness Chinese Companies Adapting to Global South Markets Practical Advice for Doing Business With China Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander  Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: chinaglobalsouth  Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

Latin America is facing intensifying pressure from Washington to distance itself from China even as Beijing remains the region's leading trading partner. Governments are increasingly caught between U.S. strategic demands and the economic opportunities offered by China, making geopolitical balancing more difficult. The shift from a rules-based order toward one defined by power is reinforcing the case for "active non-alignment," allowing countries to work with both powers according to their interests. At the same time, Latin America faces a deeper economic challenge: moving beyond exports of raw materials such as copper and lithium toward greater value addition and industrial development. Ambassador Jorge Heine, honorary professor at the University of Chile's Institute of International Studies and non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute, joins Eric to examine Latin America's balancing act, including U.S. pressure on China ties, active non-alignment, and opportunities for deeper China-Latin America economic integration. Show Notes ECLAC - Ruptures and opportunities: proposals for Latin America and the Caribbean to thrive in the new geopolitical era 📌 Topics Covered in This Episode How U.S. pressure is reshaping China-Latin America relations The rise of active non-alignment as a strategy between Washington and Beijing Why China's role as Latin America's leading trading partner limits U.S. influence The challenge of moving beyond raw-material exports toward greater value-added production How China and Latin America could cooperate on copper, lithium, EVs, and green technology Why stronger China literacy is becoming essential for Latin American policymakers   Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander I @jorgeheine  Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: chinaglobalsouth  Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

China's influence in Africa's media landscape increasingly operates through content-sharing agreements, journalist training, paid placements, and support for local broadcasters. These "below-the-line" strategies give Chinese narratives a pathway into African newsrooms that extends well beyond the reach of traditional state outlets such as CGTN and Xinhua. But the push for greater Chinese influence raises a deeper question about decolonization. While Beijing presents its media engagement as an alternative to Western dominance, African journalists can be exposed to models of reporting that do not necessarily fit local political and social realities. At the same time, the shift toward social media makes the actual impact of these efforts increasingly difficult to measure. Emeka Umejei, a Senior Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg, joins Eric and Cobus to discuss the arguments from his book China in African Media: Between Influence Operations and Decolonization, content-sharing agreements, journalist training, and the future of African media independence. Show Notes China in African Media: Between Influence Operations and Decolonization by Emeka Umejei 📌 Topics Covered in This Episode China's evolving media influence across Africa The rise of content-sharing agreements with African news outlets Journalist training, media exchanges, and the spread of Chinese reporting models The tension between China's "decolonization" narrative and African media independence How Chinese economic engagement strengthens its media influence The shift toward social media and the uncertain impact of foreign media campaigns on African audiences Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander I @stadenesque I @emekaumejei Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: chinaglobalsouth  Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

China's influence in Latin America is increasingly being built through smaller, less visible deals rather than the headline-grabbing infrastructure projects that defined its engagement in the 2010s. Surveillance technology, electric buses, power networks, critical minerals and subnational partnerships are creating a decentralized web of economic and political ties that can be harder to scrutinize or unwind. For Washington, the challenge is that pressure on governments to reduce Chinese ties often comes without credible alternatives. Latin American countries, meanwhile, are balancing U.S. security pressure against China's economic complementarity, while seeking to preserve strategic autonomy. Natalia Cote-Muñoz, the Managing Partner and CEO of Vantage Point Strategies, joins Eric to discuss China's evolving influence in Latin America, the risks of technological dependence, and how the U.S. and regional governments can respond. Show Notes Foreign Affairs - China's Quiet Quest to Dominate Latin America: Small Projects, Big Influence by Natalia Cote-Muñoz 📌 Topics Covered in This Episode China's shift from mega-projects to smaller, less visible investments in Latin America How subnational partnerships are becoming a key tool of Chinese influence The growing risks of technological and infrastructure dependence on China Why U.S. efforts to push back against China are often falling short Latin American countries' balancing act between China and the United States What China, the U.S., and Latin American governments should do differently to manage long-term geopolitical risks Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander I @CNASdc I @ncotemunoz Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: chinaglobalsouth  Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

China's growing appeal in the Global South is increasingly being shaped by everyday commercial experiences, not just diplomacy or cultural exports. Chinese phones, EVs, apps, infrastructure, entertainment, and consumer brands are becoming part of daily life, creating a form of familiarity that may prove more durable than social-media-driven fascination with China. But this commercial reach carries a major contradiction: the same low-cost Chinese products that benefit consumers can intensify pressure on local manufacturers. Across Southeast Asia, Africa, and elsewhere, governments are responding with tariffs and anti-dumping measures as Chinese firms challenge domestic industries and potentially constrain industrial upgrading.  Lizzi C. Lee, fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis, and Zhuoning Li, a research intern at the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis, join Eric and Cobus to examine China's expanding commercial soft power, including the China-maxing trend, the role of diaspora communities, and the tension between consumer benefits and local industrial competition. Show Notes South China Morning Post: China's brands must outgrow diaspora bubble to hit soft power potential by Lizzi C. Lee and Zhuoning Li  Foreign Affairs: How China Is Winning Friends and Influencing People by Eric Olander and Lizzi Lee *]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-6a979ea1-3b80-83e9-944f-48c8f1c9376f-11" data-turn-id-container= "request-6a979ea1-3b80-83e9-944f-48c8f1c9376f-11" data-testid= "conversation-turn-26" data-turn="assistant"> 📌 Topics Covered in This Episode Why China is becoming more popular with young people The rise of the "China-maxing" trend How Chinese brands are building soft power Why Chinese products resonate across the Global South The role of Chinese diaspora networks How affordability is changing consumer markets Why Chinese brands can benefit consumers while hurting local industries Can China's commercial influence outlast the current trend? Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander I @stadenesque I @wstv_lizzi I @AsiaPolicy Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: chinaglobalsouth  Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

Public opinion toward China is improving across much of the world, especially in emerging economies across Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia. At the same time, perceptions of the United States have weakened, particularly around its reliability and contribution to global peace and stability. Younger people are especially likely to view China positively, shaped increasingly by technology, consumer brands, social media, and infrastructure rather than Cold War-era narratives. But attitudes toward China and the U.S. are not necessarily zero-sum. Laura Silver, an associate director at the Pew Research Center, joins Eric to unpack the Pew Research Center's polling findings on how China is viewed around the world, why China's image is improving, what is driving support among younger people and in the Global South, and what the numbers reveal about shifting perceptions of the world's two largest powers. 📌 Topics Covered in This Episode: 🌍 Why global views of China are improving 📊 What Pew's 37-country survey reveals about China 👥 Why younger people view China more favorably 🇺🇸 Declining confidence in the United States globally 📱 How Chinese technology and consumer brands shape perceptions ⚖️ Why U.S.-China public opinion is not zero-sum Show Notes: Pew Research Center: Views of China and Xi Are Improving Globally by Laura Silver, Jonathan Schulman, Laura Clancy and William Miner  Afrobarometer: African insights 2026: Beyond borders: Citizen perspectives on a shifting global order Foreign Affairs: How China Is Winning Friends and Influencing People by Eric Olander and Lizzi Lee Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander I  @pewresearch  I @stadenesque Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish:  French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

After the pandemic, as Chinese state-backed lending to developing countries largely dried up, critics declared the Belt and Road Initiative effectively dead. They were wrong. This year, China's financial engagement with BRI countries reached another record, driven by larger deals, private companies, green energy, and a growing focus on industrial development. Chinese firms are increasingly investing in processing, manufacturing, batteries, and other higher-value activities rather than focusing primarily on infrastructure and resource extraction. According to the latest data from the Green Finance & Development Center, BRI engagement reached its highest level for any first six months since the initiative launched in 2013. Christoph Nedopil, lead author of the report and a professor at the University of Queensland, joins Eric to discuss how the BRI is evolving, including changes in how projects are financed, where capital is deployed, and which industries are attracting Chinese investment. 📌 Topics Covered in This Episode 🌏 Record-breaking BRI engagement 💰 New financing models 🏗️ Return of mega-deals ⚡ Green energy expansion ⛏️ Shift from extraction to processing 🌍 Africa's BRI surge Show Notes: Green Development Finance Center: China's investment and construction engagement in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) 2026 H1 Financial Times: China pours funding into green energy deals as Iran war hits oil demand by Edward White Semafor: Chinese investments in Africa soar to $34 billion so far this year by Yinka Adegoke Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander  Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish:  French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas