Digital controls give China an edge in South-east Asia

Significance

China will provide technology and training, which will strengthen Beijing’s influence in South-east Asia and reinforce a growing trend towards authoritarianism in the region. The systems in both Myanmar and Cambodia are envisioned as variations on China’s ‘Great Firewall’, a combination of legal actions and technologies to control public opinion.

Impacts

• China will edge out Russia with more sophisticated technology and assistance packages to South-east Asia.
• Beijing’s main clients in the region will be authoritarian regimes.
• The region’s democracies and semi-democracies will also use Chinese surveillance tech.
• Digital authoritarianism will impede regional negotiations on digital trade deals with Western nations.