Preview: […] China has not abandoned Southeast Asia as a pivotal front in its international strategy. Despite difficulties in the South China Sea, Beijing still considers the region most amenable to its strategic influence in Asia. Looking around China’s vast and troubled periphery, one must feel sympathy for this judgment. From Russia in the north, Japan in the east, the two Koreas in the northeast, and India in the south, Beijing is facing impenetrable barriers, implacable foes, or incalculable risks. In Southeast Asia, major strategic breakthroughs still look promising. Generations of Chinese have emigrated to establish a significant economic and cultural presence. Regional states have refrained from openly opposing Chinese influence. Individual resistance exists, but not collective balancing