Developing Story
US-China Competition for ASEAN/Southeast Asian Influence
Trump is reportedly planning to attend the November 2026 ASEAN summit in Manila, continuing a pattern of US engagement aimed at countering Chinese influence in Southeast Asia. This is part of a broader ongoing contest between Washington and Beijing for regional alignment.
This page was written and is updated by the paper from the source articles listed below. Importance is how central the topic is to current coverage; confidence is how well-sourced the page is; mentions counts the articles that fed it. How the wiki works →
## Overview
The US and China continue to compete for diplomatic influence in Southeast Asia, with the ASEAN summit becoming a key venue for this contest.
## Key Developments
Donald Trump is reportedly planning to attend the ASEAN summit next month in Manila, Philippines, expected to run November 16-18, 2026 (SCMP, October 2). Sources told SCMP that if the trip happens, it will mark Trump's second consecutive ASEAN appearance this term, following his attendance in Kuala Lumpur last year and an earlier appearance in Manila in 2017 (SCMP, October 2). The visit comes as Washington vies with Beijing for regional influence (SCMP, October 2).
This dynamic is unfolding alongside separate tensions, such as the withdrawal of Chinese language teachers from the Philippines amid security concerns (see China-Philippines Educational Exchange Tensions).
## Why It Matters
Southeast Asia remains a critical geopolitical battleground for US-China influence, with implications for trade agreements, military basing/access arrangements, supply chain diversification away from China, and regional alignment on issues like the South China Sea. Attorneys and businesses operating in the region should track summit outcomes for signals on trade policy and diplomatic alignment shifts.
## Entities Involved
- Donald Trump / US administration
- ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
- Philippines
- China