US Struggle- NAVIGATION OF THE Chinese
The US has been acting in a similar manner to China as it intensifies its regional defense activities.
Cope Thunder, a battle training workout with the Philippines, was revived last year after more than three decades. Cobra Gold and Garuda Shield, two diplomatic training with Thailand and Indonesia, between, have since developed into significant international endeavors.  ,
The US has even pushed for new initiatives, such as the first seafaring practice between ASEAN and the US in 2019.
In either case, South Asian countries gain, though spectators claim that the benefits vary.
According to Dr. Hoo,” The devil lies in the information, it’s what kind of commitment and here we see for Southeast Asian nations, the range and breadth of their commitments with the US tend to be deeper and more substantive.”
However, Dr. Huang from NUS noted that interactions with the Army “go a long way to improving confidence.”
To allow the other party to gain some understanding of the Chinese military’s strengths and natural weaknesses, he continued, “is a ability building mechanism.”
Having said that, Dr. Hoo from NTU is confident that how China handles its maritime claims will not be impacted by how frequently or extensively the joint activities are conducted.
Instead, he continued, “it conveys the very clear message that the Army is the regional superpower and has the right to work in the area, especially the South China Sea.”
” Increasing trust is not a guarantee for errors and mishaps.”
According to Dr. Storey, the trend of increasing Chinese defense engagements in the area is expected to continue because it sees these as a means of advancing an international security order led by China that finally excludes the US.
Dr. Storey stated to CNA, citing a new idea China unveiled in February of last year on enhancing global security,” Strripped to its bare bones, that is obviously the goal of President Xi Jinping’s Global Security Initiative.”
” China is attempting to demonstrate that it can be an other company of local security products to the United States by conducting military exercises with Southeast Asian nations.”
As the US and China compete for local control, experts anticipate that ASEAN countries will maintain their juggling act.
Indonesian President Joko Widodok frequently emphasized that ASEAN does not act as a go-between for any energy and will work with anyone to promote peace and prosperity during his tenure as the bloc’s chair next year.
According to Dr. Hoo,” this means that ( Southeast Asian nations ) must strike a balance between their relationships with both major powers, and harmony means not only in terms of economic connections, but also of security.”
Therefore, even if it is n’t as significant as the US, to the extent that ( China ) can engage in some kind of military activity is still something the Chinese would like to have and something that is advantageous for these Southeast Asian nations themselves.