US beats China in soft power and popularity in South-east Asia, giving it regional edge, say analysis

The United States enjoys greater soft power and popularity in South-East Asia than China, presenting Washington a distinct advantage as the two giants face off in the strategically vital region, a comprehensive polling analysis released on Tuesday found.

A majority of citizens, particularly in the region’s most populous nations – Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam – trusted US policies and intentions more than China’s, according to the white paper by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. This gave the US the upper hand in cementing alliances on a range of issues or at least keeping regional states from aligning with Beijing to Washington’s detriment.