After the Cold War ended， the US became the sole superpower. South－ east Asia entered a new phase. The Indochinese wars finally ended， and the communist countries opened up. Earlier， Vietnam had invaded Cambodia，thus posing a serious threat to its non－communist neighbours. But now Vietnam joined ASEAN， together with Cambodia， Laos and Myanmar. It was a case of beating swords into ploughshares.
Over the next decades， Southeast Asia benefited from a favourable external environment. The US was the dominant power in the Asia Pacific， and a stabilising security presence. International trade was expanding rapidly. Trade barriers came down， often led by the US. The ASEAN economies prospered through export－led growth and foreign investments. International frameworks like the World Trade Organisation （WTO） and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea （UNCLOS） established rules， managed conflict， balanced competing interests， and fostered cooperation between countries big and small. Initially China played only a minor economic role， but as its economy took off， it became a growing partner of the ASEAN countries， and a major participant in regional affairs.
US－China relations
I recount this history to show that Southeast Asia is no stranger to the great game of nations， and to offer some historical perspective to the current strategic situation. The US－China bilateral relationship is the most important in the world today. How the two work out their tensions and frictions will define the international environment for many years to come.
The relationship has already altered significantly. China has totally changed since it started opening up forty years ago. Its GDP per capita has grown by more than 25 times in real terms. China is now the second largest economy in the world.
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