Southeast Asia

Erawan Shrine in central Bangkok, where a bomb went off in August 2015, killing 20 people and injuring 120.

Can Southeast Asia become an economic hub to rival (or at least balance) China?

China's rise has thrown new challenges at Southeast Asia — how to find strength in numbers to counter China's economic clout, and political and military muscle. One solution? The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has started a new ASEAN Economic Community, with the goal of turning it into a 10-nation, 630-million person common market. The challenges? Where to start? That's especially true if you're Thailand, once a star in the region for economic growth and stability, now, slipping down the list, but not remotely giving up.
Can Southeast Asia become an economic hub to rival (or at least balance) China?