Why Southeast Asia feels relief and caution after the Xi-Trump summit
Por Shi Jiangtao,Fan Chen — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement 2026 Xi-Trump summits China Diplomacy Why Southeast Asia feels relief and caution after the Xi-Trump summit
Countries in the region could feel less pressure as the thaw in US-China ties continues but deeper disputes remain unresolved, analysts say
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Shi Jiangtao and Fan Chen Published: 4:06pm, 27 Sep 2026 Southeast Asia is welcoming the thaw in US-China ties continuing after the Xi-Trump summit , with analysts saying the region could feel less pressure alongside fewer open frictions between the two over the South China Sea .
Yet, caution persists as the summit left deeper disputes unresolved.
“Stable great-power relations – competitive but with sturdy guardrails – will create more legroom for third countries to navigate an increasingly complex world,” according to Lucio Blanco Pitlo III, a research fellow at the Manila-based Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation.
Such stability, he said, could ease pressure on countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to pick a side, slow supply-chain disintegration and reduce the intensity of great-power competition in long-standing flashpoints like the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. SCMP Series Xi’s 2026 trip to US [ 26 of 26 ] Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice
