China and Southeast Asia

An article a few days ago in The Financial Times discusses the contradictory feelings that have accompanied China's economic ascendancy in southeast Asia. Many countries in the region are grateful to China for drawing the attention of investors from around the world, and China's willingness to overlook human rights violations is also welcome. But ASEAN countries are running ever larger trade deficits with China, and countries like the Philippines are fearful that local companies will be strangled by competition from the mainland.