Cold War and US-China Tensions Significant Impacts on Security Landscape in Southeast Asia

Security Landscape in Southeast Asia
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Abstract
South East Asia (SEA) has been the stage for power and domination struggles between China, U.S.S.R, and the U.S. for quite a while. This paper breaks down the historical and current rivalry that has been there between these three powers and how it has played a role in the determination of the security situation in SEA. South East Asia has been the place for the superiority battles between these three powers, especially U.S. and Russia in the Cold War period, and with China in the current age. Both the US-Soviet rivalry during the Cold War and the US-China tensions today have had significant impacts on the security landscape in Southeast Asia.
Introduction
Ever since the Second World War, the global powers have constantly been jostling for the control of the world. Before the Second World War, the U.S.S.R was the dominant force globally, having shown its might in the First World War. However, the Second World War ushered in the U.S. as the new power on the block. Since then, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. rivalry peaked during the Cold War. Then at the ushering of the new millennium, China joined these two as a significant player in global economics and politics. South East Asia has been the place for the superiority battles between these three powers, especially the U.S. and Russia in the Cold War and with China in the current age. Both the US-Soviet rivalry during the Cold War and the US-China tensions today have had significant impacts on the security landscape in Southeast Asia.
The Genesis
Matters of international relations have always encompassed global security (Collins, 2022). America's expansionist approach began just after WWII when the nation realized the need to consolidate its power by exerting worldwide influence. Of much interest was Southeast Asia, where Japan had already shown a sign of superiority before being subdued during the war. Therefore, it looked at the region as a place to have a presence to enhance global domination (Andaya, 2019). On the other hand, China grew in influence due to visionary leadership and was coming technologically and economically (Stromseth, 2019). U.S.S.R had been enjoying the status of global power and was still nostalgic about the years past, of how it was the only power in the world.
The South East Asia region was initially a conclave of communism, with states such as China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and North Korea (Dayley, 2018). The entry of the U.S. into the region meant that there were bound to be ideological differences which would, in turn, bring about conflict. This was because the U.S. was a capitalist state. Therefore, the emergence of the U.S. as another power spooked it, and the country engaged in a silent war to reclaim its place at the top of global domination. The upheavals in countries such as Myanmar illustrate the state of security in SEA (Le Thu, Engel & Mansour, 2021).
Similarities
The security situation in SEA was a factor based on the ideologies of the major players there. SEA countries were attaining independence, and it was a free for all concern for the global powers (Frey et al., 2015). Both rivalries were hinged majorly on ideological differences. While th...