Over the past week, leaders of Malaysia and Indonesia renewed their commitment to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and extended welcomes to Chinese investment. This came amid growing scrutiny from the United States and the European Union regarding Chinese investments in South Asia, particularly those linked to the BRI.

During the visit of Vietnam's new leader To Lam to Beijing this week, China and Vietnam signed 14 documents bolstering collaboration on railways, trade, and industrial development.

Last week, the governments of China and Malaysia vowed to bolster cooperation in trade and investment, including in car manufacturing, and signed 14 deals during an official visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

In Thailand, recent news reports indicate that cheap imports from China have been flooding the domestic market, and possible responses include the removal of a VAT waiver that is currently in place.

A recent report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace examines the impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative through the lens of eight experts from Southeast Asian countries.

During Chinese president Xi Jinping's state visit to Vietnam this week, the two nations signed 36 deals, ranging from infrastructure building to telecommunications and trade.

This week, China's Ministry of Commerce decided to extend the anti-dumping duties on POM copolymer from South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia.