it isalready the overwhelming view in Southeast Asia that China is the mostinfluential economic (as well as political-strategic) power in the region

Early on, Aileen Baviera (2002) drew attention to a setof interdependent strategic changes that served to awaken and transforma once sleepy set of disputes into one of heightened activity, prominence,and significance. These included China’s growing economic influenceand foreign policy assertiveness and weakened US influence in SoutheastAsi

On the question of the South China Sea, greatest attention has beendevoted to the challenge posed by China as an increasingly active andassertive claimant that, moreover, wields increasingly comprehensiveinfluence.

Reclaiming the politics of South-South cooperation

neighboring nations for closer economic alliance as well as provides an opportunity of “South-South cooperation” to gain geographic win-win performance and more amicable settlement(Soong, 2014)