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

Support for China was stronger in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, according to the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute survey 3 -MIN READ3 -MIN Listen Published: 4:05pm, 7 Apr 2026Updated: 4:06pm, 7 Apr 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…