China or the US? Why Southeast Asia cannot stay neutral forever


Source: scmp.com scmp.com

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Given China’s long history of invasion and civil strife, it is no coincidence that weiqi, or Go, is considered by some to be the country’s national board game. Stemming from an era when the country was riven by fracture and war, the game’s aim – to encircle your opponent while avoiding encirclement in return – is reflective of the traditional fears within China’s foreign policy. For some in Beijing, it might look like these fears are being realised. To China’s southwest, India is drifting towards the United States following the bloody border clash with the People’s Liberation Army last year...