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Most in Asean prefer China over US as partner in poll, Trump cited as biggest concern

Most Southeast Asians would choose China as a strategic partner over the US if forced to pick, as analysts attribute the findings of an annual…

By Samantha Johnson / April 7, 2026
Most Southeast Asians would choose China as a strategic partner over the US if forced to pick, as analysts attribute the findings of an annual survey to recent geopolitical and trade uncertainties driven by Washington’s policies.
But analysts warn against interpreting the respondents’ sentiment in the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute survey as a zero-sum game between the superpowers, saying that Asean is looking to diversify partners in a multipolar world.

When asked which superpower the region should pick if it is forced to align itself with either the US and China, 52 per cent of all respondents chose Beijing, while the remaining 48 per cent picked Washington. Last year, 52.3 per cent of respondents preferred the US, with the remaining 47.7 per cent choosing China.

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ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute interviewed 2,008 respondents across 11 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including those in the private sector, research institutions and policymakers.

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The survey was conducted from January 5 to February 20, with its start happening a few days after US President Donald Trump authorised the capture of Venezuela’s former leader, Nicolas Maduro, and announced that Washington would indefinitely control the sale of the South American nation’s oil.

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