China is now the “most important” dialogue partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, according to ASEAN foreign ministers who held an annual series of meetings last week in Bangkok.

Alan Chong, an associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told Kyodo News that “momentarily, China has the upper hand” among the ASEAN dialogue partners because its Belt and Road Initiative was launched as the United States, under the presidency of Donald Trump, adopted a foreign policy shift.

“China is winning because of this unusual combination of factors in its favor,” Chong said in a phone interview.