March 16, 2018

Beijing and Washington have long been the dominant powers in the Southeast Asia, home to some of the world's fastest-growing economies. But the region is increasingly seeking alternative alliances amid unease over China's rising influence and perceptions of an unpredictable White House.

"Specific Southeast Asian states are now seeking to diversify their strategic partnerships, beyond a binary choice between Beijing and Washington," the Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S. think tank, said in a note this week.

A key element of those diversification efforts is working with India "as a more forceful counterweight to China and hedge against a declining United States," the note said.

Read more:

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/15/southeast-asia-increasingly-turns-to-india-instead-of-the-us-or-china.html