THROUGH the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has demonstrated a willingness to share its development dividends by actively engaging in practical cooperation and investing in Southeast Asia's infrastructure construction. This policy has provided tangible development opportunities for Southeast Asian countries and laid a solid foundation for long-term cooperation between China and Southeast Asian nations.

More importantly, a comparison between China and the United States in infrastructure support to Southeast Asia underscores which country is a more reliable partner in regional infrastructure development and which is motivated by geopolitical interests to cause disruptions.