China Solidifies Its Influence in Southeast Asia
China has always wielded significant influence in Southeast Asia. Lately, though, as the West turns its attention elsewhere, Beijing has been seeking to solidify its economic and political clout in the region.
[…]But in no other region is China’s influence as pronounced as in the countries along the Mekong. This partly has to do with their geographical and cultural proximity to China, with historical bonds that can be traced back hundreds of years.
