China has entered a period of structural adjustment marked by tighter political control, uneven economic recovery, and a more contested external environment. Domestic governance priorities—regime security, self-reliance, and social stability—have become increasingly intertwined with intensifying U.S.–China strategic competition, particularly under a second Trump administration. Renewed trade and technology restrictions have reinforced Beijing’s security-first orientation, with implications that extend well beyond China’s borders.
For Southeast Asia, these shifts translate into heightened economic disruption, strategic uncertainty, and growing pressure to navigate competing demands from major powers. Understanding how China’s internal dynamics shape its regional behaviour is therefore critical to assessing future risks and policy options.
This closed-door expert roundtable convenes China specialists from Singapore-based research institutions, alongside visiting Canadian officials, analysts, and private-sector participants, to assess these developments and their regional implications.
