China is transforming Southeast Asia faster than ever

(Dec 6): China’s investment is transforming its smaller Southeast Asian neighbors like never before while helping turn Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar into bigger destinations for its exports.

That’s driving some of the world’s fastest economic growth rates and providing Chinese companies with low-cost alternatives as they seek to move capacity out of the country. It’s also helping Asia’s largest economy and nations in its orbit adapt to what looks more and more like a new era of waning US commitment to the region from a more inward-looking administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

"China’s definitely looking at these countries in general as an area where it can sell products and get good return for its investments," said Edward Lee, an economist with Standard Chartered Plc in Singapore. "China itself is getting more expensive for its companies, and that’s reinforcing this trend."

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