In recent years, China has embarked on an ambitious path to not only consolidate its own development model but also to project its norms and values across the global stage. This projection is embedded in a series of initiatives that collectively aim to reorient the axes of global governance, potentially forging an alternative architecture replete with “Chinese characteristics”. Central to this architecture are the Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), which are complemented by the expansive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China's growing economic clout.

These initiatives do not operate in isolation but interlock to promote a comprehensive suite of norms and values that China deems conducive to its vision of a harmonious global order. While the BRI lays the physical groundwork for connectivity, the GDI, launched by Chinese president Xi Jinping in September 2021, seeks to catalyse a more equitable, balanced and inclusive development paradigm. Meanwhile, the GSI, introduced in 2022, offers a Chinese formula to counter what it perceives as a security dilemma exacerbated by zero-sum alliances. The GCI, though less concrete in its early form, proposes a dialogue-of-civilizations approach that appears to challenge the Western-centric narrative of global governance.

Southeast Asia, with its dynamic economies and complex security landscape, serves as an influential testing ground for the reception and integration of these initiatives. The diverse responses from the region, ranging from receptive collaboration to cautious hedging, provides a nuanced canvas to evaluate the traction these initiatives might gain and the potential reshaping of Southeast Asia's political, economic and strategic domains. As China continues to promote its narratives and approaches with vigour and an assertive diplomatic posture, the fabric of Southeast Asian governance structures, development models and geopolitical alignments could be subject to significant influence, if not transformation.

This chapter will dissect the layers of this influence, contemplating the extent to which Southeast Asian states might align with, adapt or counterbalance the outreach of Chinese initiatives. It aims to unravel these norms and values and critically examine their implications for Southeast Asia, a region that is both geographically proximate and strategically pivotal to China's global aspirations. The interplay of these developments is not merely regional but bears the weight of global significance, posing fundamental questions about the future trajectory of international order. This analysis will, therefore, not only spotlight the Southeast Asian perspective but also reflect on the broader implications of a global governance structure that continues to evolve and to be contested under the shadow of a rising China.