Southeast Asia: Burdened by Consensus

With his allies in the legislature scoring big in midterm elections, the Philippine leader is well placed to continue beating a path to Beijing's door.

In seeking to check Beijing's rise, Tokyo is pursuing closer links with its wider region -- thereby offering smaller countries a choice apart from overbearing U.S. or Chinese influence.

If Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong is in fact seriously ill, political infighting could eventually threaten Vietnam's newfound prosperity.

For all it encompasses -- 16 countries, almost half the world's population and a third of its economic output -- the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership's boost to trade will remain modest as long as it sidesteps nontariff barriers.

Ahead of national elections, Thai military leaders instituted measures to curb civilian power, limiting the risk of the political chaos that marked 2014.

Their opinions on free trade, infrastructure and China divide them, but neither of Indonesia's two front-runners for next month's elections is set to take the archipelago in a radically different direction.

Companies began shifting their investments and operations from China to the nearby, lower-cost region years ago. The U.S.-China trade war is speeding up the trend.

Concerned about China's influence, Malaysia suspended a massive rail project last year. But now that Beijing has sweetened the deal, Kuala Lumpur is having second thoughts.

Thailand is preparing for its first election since a military coup in 2014. Now a member of the royal family is challenging the monarchy's long-standing role to stay above the political fray.