Competition over soft power in East Asia

China’s regional and global rise has had profound economic, political, and security implications. In particular, Beijing has both taken new, robust initiatives in the international economy and stepped-up its activities in maritime East Asia. From the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement to freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea, the United States has rebalanced its policies in order to place special emphasis on Asia and the Indo-Pacific. The new regional strategies from Washington and Beijing have created both opportunities and challenges for China’s neighbors. But how do those countries feel about the heightened presence of both China and the United States in their backyard? The fourth phase of the Asian Barometer Survey provides a broader scope of survey data on how these Asian countries perceive both China and the United States.

On September 29, the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings, Institute of Political Science at Academia Sinica, and the Center for East Asia Democratic Studies at National Taiwan University co-hosted a conference presenting and analyzing the latest data from the Asian Barometer Survey. Panelists examined how East Asians view the influence of the United States versus China, and the competition over soft power in the region.