# Mekong Region

Chauffeurs and Security Pacts: Wang Yi’s Southeast Asian Circuit Reasserts Beijing’s Sphere of Influence

Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s tour of Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar underscores a strategic shift toward deeper security and industrial integration in Southeast Asia. Through EV diplomacy in Thailand and '2+2' defense talks in Cambodia, Beijing is consolidating a regional bloc that challenges Western influence and prioritizes Chinese 'core interests.'