ISEAS in the News: “State of Southeast Asia 2024 Survey Report”

The State of Southeast Asia 2024 Survey Report was launched on Tuesday, 2 April 2024 morning.

This annual survey, conducted by the ASEAN Studies Centre at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, seeks to provide insights on the perceptions of Southeast Asians on regional affairs, ASEAN’s engagements with its Dialogue Partners, and ASEAN member states’ positions on regional political, economic, and social issues.

For the 6th edition of this annual survey, we covered pertinent questions on the Israel-Hamas conflict; the Russia-Ukraine War; Taiwan Strait tensions; the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA); strategic relevance of ASEAN’s dialogue partners; regional leadership, the US-China rivalry and its impact on Southeast Asia, levels of trust regarding the major powers; and soft power.

Click here for the Media Release
Click here for the Welcome Remarks by Mr Choi Shing Kwok
Click here for the report

Media reports

  1. Nikkei Asia, 13 May 2024 – Asia-Pacific free trade pacts have been a big success for the U.S.
  2. Nikkei Asia, 12 May 2024 – China’s Confucius Institutes flourish in ASEAN after West’s freeze-out
  3. SCMP, 11 May 2024 – Aukus expansion: Japan, South Korea want in on Pillar 2 – but trust is still a sticking point
  4. Bloomberg, 10 May 2024 – China Criticizes US Campus Protests to Win the Global South
  5. The Japan Times, 10 May 2024 – Would Trump 2.0 rekindle the merits of volatility?
  6. Council on Foreign Relations, 10 May 2024 – What a Second Trump Term Could Mean for Southeast Asia
  7. War on the Rocks, 9 May 2024 – The East and South China Seas: One Sea, Near Seas, Whose Seas?
  8. The Japan Times, 8 May 2024 – What a second Trump term could mean for Southeast Asia
  9. The Straits Times, 8 May 2024 – Both the US and China have fallen short in their quest to win over SE Asia
  10. SCMP, 8 May 2024 – Opinion | Asean must calm South China Sea waters or risk ‘Asia’s Ukraine’
  11. Newsweek, 8 May 2024 – China Tops US in Popularity in Strategic Region
  12. Newsweek, 8 May 2024 – How American Views Are Shifting on China
  13. The China-Global South Project, 8 May 2024 – China-Laos Railway Brings Higher Mobility, Employment As Profit Concerns Linger
  14. RFI, 3 May 2024 – 学者:法国不可屈服于“第三条道路”的诱惑
  15. Visual Capitalist, 3 May 2024 – What Southeast Asia Thinks About American and Chinese Influence
  16. The Straits Times, 2 May 2024 – Nearly half of Americans say limiting China’s influence should be US’ top priority: Pew survey
  17. DW, 2 May 2024 – War in Gaza: Anti-West sentiment grows in Malaysia
  18. Pi Online, 2 May 2024 – Institutional investors drawn to Vietnam in hopes of upgrade to emerging markets
  19. Voronoi, 1 May 2024 – What Southeast Asians Think About Rising Chinese and U.S. Influence
  20. Finews, 29 April 2024 – Geopolitics is No Fun for Most of Asia
  21. Global Times, 29 April 2024 – It is the US that is splashing ‘boiling water’ at Asia-Pacific
  22. Newsweek, 29 April 2024 – Japan’s Leader Fumio Kishida on Countering Threat of China and North Korea
  23. The Interpreter, 29 April 2024 – Why India’s Global South ambitions must turn to Southeast Asia
  24. eNanyang, 25 April 2024 – 东南亚国家“靠边站”报告出炉 中国超越美成首选
  25. Global Times, 24 April 2024 – Southeast Asia has its own criteria facing major power competition
  26. CHINA US Focus, 23 April 2024 – Why Doesn’t Southeast Asia Choose the U.S.?
  27. NewsGram, 23 April 2024 – No, Southeast Asians do not now prefer China over the US
  28. CNA, 22 April 2024 – What’s behind ASEAN’s latest tilt towards China?
  29. SCMP, 22 April 2024 – With BrahMos missile delivery to Philippines, India sets out its arms stall for Southeast Asia
  30. BenarNews, 22 April 2024 – No, Southeast Asians do not now prefer China over the US
  31. Hindustan Times, 22 April 2024 – What latest Southeast Asia Survey tells us about the region
  32. Taipei Times, 22 April 2024 – More Southeast Asian ties not easy: report
  33. Nikkei Asia, 20 April 2024 – Taiwan’s Lai poised to build on Tsai’s Southeast Asia outreach
  34. RFA, 20 April 2024 – No, Southeast Asians do not now prefer China over the US
  35. Think China, 19 April 2024 – US’s ‘Typhon’ missile system deployed in the Philippines: A dangerous move?
  36. Lianhe Zaobao, 19 April 2024 – 韩咏红:美国“堤丰”中导系统部署菲律宾
  37. DW, 18 April 2024 – Is the EU’s image failing in Southeast Asia?
  38. The Strategist, 18 April 2024 – India wants strategic engagement with Southeast Asia—but how?
  39. The Diplomat, 17 April 2024 – Some Southeast Asians Are Turning Against America Over Gaza. It Likely Won’t Last
  40. Irrawaddy, 17 April 2024 – Bishop’s Opening for a New UN Approach to Myanmar?
  41. Jakarta Globe, 17 April 2024 – Middle East Conflict Top Geopolitical Concern in ASEAN Region: Report
  42. The Wire, 17 April 2024 – India, Globally: Rohingya Deportations, Clampdown on Opposition and More
  43. Bloomberg, 16 April 2024 – Singapore Is Facing a Dangerous World Without Lee
  44. VOA, 16 April 2024 – Under Biden, US reimagines Asian alliances as ‘lattice’ fence
  45. SCMP, 16 April 2024 – Opinion | In Cold War 2.0, the collective rise of middle powers could tip the balance
  46. Wilson Center, 16 April 2024 – Trade? What’s That?
  47. SCMP, 16 April 2024 – Indonesia-Israel relations: why normalising ties for an OECD seat would be ‘political suicide’ for Jakarta
  48. The Diplomat, 16 April 2024 – The Perception Game: How Are China and the US Viewed in Southeast Asia?
  49. Lianhe Zaobao, 16 April 2024 – 廖建裕:普拉博沃走访中日马三国的意义
  50. Lianhe Zaobao, 16 April 2024 – 杨建业:加沙悲剧正拖累美国
  51. The Straits Times, 15 April 2024 – Japan-US alliance upgrade: When a spoke becomes a hub
  52. Observer Research Foundation, 15 April 2024 – India’s East Asia outreach shows its centrality to regional stability
  53. Politik, 15 April 2024 – Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
  54. The Straits Times, 14 April 2024 – What makes a South-east Asian?
  55. SCMP, 14 April 2024 – Opinion | To survive US-China rivalry, Asean must work to dial down tensions
  56. SCMP, 14 April 2024 – Opinion | For Southeast Asians, Israel-Gaza war is more worrying than even South China Sea row – as extremism fears grow
  57. The Straits Times, 12 April 2024 – Biden, Kishida and Marcos make common cause against China in first trilateral summit
  58. The Diplomat, 12 April 2024 – Indonesia’s Evolving Perception of China
  59. The Diplomat, 12 April 2024 – The Land-Locked Thinking of Laotians
  60. Wilson Center, 12 April 2024 – After the US-Japan Summit, Time to Expand Indo-Pacific Economic Networks
  61. Council on Foreign Relations, 12 April 2024 – The U.S.-Japan-Philippines Trilateral Was a Success, but Other Southeast Asian States Are Unlikely to Follow
  62. Telegraph India, 12 April 2024 – op-ed | Act East: Editorial on India being among partners of least strategic relevance for ASEAN
  63. Bloomberg, 11 April 2024 – To Counter China in South China Sea, US Ramps Up Ties With Japan, Philippines
  64. Financial Times, 11 April 2024 – Majority of south-east Asians favour China over US, survey finds
  65. KW Global Trade, 11 April 2024 – ASEAN Private Sector Business Sentiment Report on Choice of Strategic Economic Partners
  66. China Economic Review, 11 April 2024 – China preferred over US in southeast Asia, survey finds
  67. SCMP, 10 April 2024 – Southeast Asia still doesn’t ‘know India’, survey shows, as New Delhi urged to boost engagement with region
  68. Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, 10 April 2024 – Podcast: A View of the World, and Canada, from Southeast Asia
  69. Lianhe Zaobao, 9 April 2024 – 【视频】东南亚态势报告2024:五年来首超美国 更多受访者选边中国
  70. SCMP, 9 April 2024 – Opinion | What Asean really wants is to avoid a new cold war
  71. The Jakarta Post, 9 April 2024 – ASEAN tourists prefer Thailand over Indonesia: Study
  72. Bangkok Post, 9 April 2024 – Asean juggles triangular power game
  73. China Daily, 9 April 2024 – High-level visits to boost Sino-ASEAN cooperation
  74. Wall Street Journal, 8 April 2024 – Does Biden Take China’s Threat Seriously?
  75. Nikkei Asia, 8 April 2024 – Top Vietnamese lawmaker in China after president’s surprise ouster
  76. The Diplomat, 8 April 2024 – Southeast Asians Don’t Really Care About the Myanmar Crisis
  77. Borneo Bulletin Online, 8 April 2024 – Unemployment, recession top Bruneian worries: Report
  78. Asia News Network, 8 April 2024 – Southeast Asia’s turn towards China may not last, say US analysts
  79. The Geopolitics, 8 April 2024 – US-China Rivalry and ASEAN’s Fine Balancing Act
  80. The Straits Times, 7 April 2024 – South-east Asia’s turn towards China may not last, say US analysts
  81. Nikkei Asia, 7 April 2024 – Japan ‘most trusted’ by ASEAN despite low influence, study shows
  82. Ticker News, 7 April 2024 – Would southeast Asian nations choose the U.S. over China?
  83. Lianhe Zaobao Facebook, 5 April 2024 – 《东南亚态势报告:2024》4月2日发布,若被迫选边,中美之间如何选?哪些地缘政治课题最影响…
  84. Think China, 5 April 2024 – Navigating China’s influence: Insights from the State of Southeast Asia 2024 Survey
  85. CNA, 5 April 2024 – Commentary: Navigating China’s influence and expanding role in Southeast Asia
  86. SCMP, 5 April 2024 – Opinion | Southeast Asians are warming to the Quad – but they need to see more tangible benefits
  87. Thailand Business News, 5 April 2024 – China overtakes the U.S. as the most favored ally in Southeast Asia – Thailand Business News
  88. The Economist, 4 April 2024 – China’s tin-eared approach to the world
  89. Lowy Institute, 4 April 2024 – Economic diplomacy: Hanging on in ASEAN
  90. Nikkei Asia, 4 April 2024 – Japan, U.S., Philippines to cooperate in clean energy, chips: Kishida
  91. SCMP, 4 April 2024 – Opinion | Killing of aid workers a cry to stop Gaza war
  92. Atlas News, 4 April 2024 – Survey Reveals Southeast Asia’s Views on Taiwan Conflict and China/U.S. Popularity
  93. Al Jazeera, 4 April 2024 – Majority in Southeast Asia would choose China over US, survey suggests
  94. Al Mayadeen English, 4 April 2024 – Survey shows majority of Southeast Asians prefer China over US
  95. The Wire, 4 April 2024 – India Among ‘Partners of Least Strategic Relevance’ for ASEAN: State of SE Asia Survey 2024
  96. MSN, 4 April 2024 – Survey Shows China Overtaking U.S. as Southeast Asia’s Premier Ally
  97. China Global South, 4 April 2024 – Survey: China Passes the U.S. for the First Time as the Preferred Partner of Choice in Southeast Asia
  98. Think China, 3 April 2024 – State of Southeast Asia Survey 2024: Choosing China over the US is neither a tidal shift nor a sea change
  99. The Diplomat, 3 April 2024 – Is Southeast Asia Really Turning Toward China?
  100. Breaking Latest News, 3 April 2024 – Changing Alliances in Southeast Asia: China Surpasses the United States as Top Choice
  101. Stars and Stripes, 3 April 2024 – Army’s top Pacific leader counters ASEAN poll showing popular support for China
  102. RFA, 3 April 2024 – ASEAN is now more pro-China than US: survey
  103. CGTN, 3 April 2024 – Survey shows Southeast Asians favor China over U.S.
  104. CNBC, 3 April 2024 – U.S. loses its spot to China as Southeast Asia’s most favored ally, survey shows (cnbc.com)
  105. The Print, 3 April 2024 – India ranks low in strategic relevance in Southeast Asia, China edges out US, finds Singapore institute
  106. VOA, 3 April 2024 – 东南亚变得偏好中国?最新民调答案并非泾渭分明
  107. Taipei Times, 3 April 2024 – China topples US as SE Asia’s favored partner: poll
  108. The Cradle, 3 April 2024 – China sees big gains in Southeast Asia as ASEAN loses faith in Washington
  109. See Hua, 3 April 2024 – 【研究调查】东南亚民众最关心经济议题 其次是地缘政治
  110. Asia News Network, 3 April 2024 – Israel-Hamas conflict top geopolitical concern in South-east Asia: ISEAS survey
  111. The Straits Times, 2 April 2024 – When push comes to shove, China edges out US as S-E Asia’s preferred superpower: ISEAS survey
  112. The Straits Times, 2 April 2024 – Israel-Hamas conflict top geopolitical concern in S-E Asia: ISEAS survey
  113. Lianhe Zaobao, 2 April 2024 – 东南亚态势报告2024:五年来首超美国 更多受访者选边中国
  114. Lianhe Zaobao, 2 April 2024 – 东南亚年度调查结果出炉 受访者选中国比率首次超越美国
  115. Lianhe Zaobao, 2 April 2024 – 以哈冲突最受关注 逾四成受访者认为以色列行动过激
  116. Lianhe Zaobao, 2 April 2024 – 东南亚对中国影响力上升担忧加剧
  117. Today, 2 April 2024 – 5 takeaways from survey of Southeast Asians, including Singapore being top choice of regional country for relocation
  118. South China Morning Post, 2 April 2024 – Southeast Asians swing towards China alignment as pro-Israel bias hurts US, new survey shows
  119. The Star, 2 April 2024 – When push comes to shove, China edges out US as S-E Asia’s preferred superpower: ISEAS survey
  120. Bloomberg, 2 April 2024 – China Topples US as SE Asia’s Favored Partner, Survey Shows
  121. The Business Times, 2 April 2024 – China topples US as South-east Asia’s favoured partner, survey shows
  122. The Business Times, 2 April 2024 – Southeast Asia’s Shifting Allegiances: China Overtakes U.S. as Preferred Partner, Survey Reveals (btimesonline.com)
  123. The Edge, 2 April 2024 – China topples US as SE Asia’s favoured partner, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak survey shows
  124. Nikkei Asia, 2 April 2024 – Majority of ASEAN people favor China over U.S., survey finds
  125. Sina, 2 April 2024 – 欢迎程度超50% 最新调查:中国已成为东南亚民众心中最佳盟友
  126. Guan Cha, 2 April 2024 – 新加坡智库报告:若东南亚被迫在中美间选边站,选中国的人数首次超过了选美国的
  127. Huan Qiu, 2 April 2024 – 社评:东盟国家政要密集访华,凸显地区稳定底色
  128. Yahoo News, 2 April 2024 – Is Southeast Asia Leaning More Toward China? New Survey Shows Mixed Results
  129. Strat For, 2 April 2024 – ASEAN: Annual Survey Shows Turn in Favor of China
  130. CNA, 2 April 2024 – ISEAS senior fellow Sharon Seah on Southeast Asian perceptions on the US, China
  131. CNA, 2 April 2024 – If forced to choose sides, China edges out US as Southeast Asia’s preferred superpower: ISEAS poll
  132. 8 World, 2 April 2024 – 调查:东南亚民众最关注经济及地缘政治课题
  133. Time, 2 April 2024 – Is Southeast Asia Leaning More Toward China?
  134. ANN, 2 April 2024 – China edges out US as SE Asia’s preferred superpower: ISEAS survey
  135. CNA, 2 April 2024 – If forced to choose sides, China edges out US as Southeast Asia’s preferred superpower: ISEAS poll
  136. CNA, 2 April 2024 – ISEAS senior fellow Sharon Seah on Southeast Asian perceptions on the US, China
  137. STNN, 2 April 2024 – 新加坡智库报告:更多东南亚国家在中美之间选择中国
  138. Nanyang, 2 April 2024 – 东南亚态势报告2024 选中国受访者首超美国
  139. VOA, 2 April 2024 – China launches Southeast Asia outreach amid tensions with Philippines