China presses ahead with Southeast Asia port expansion as US tensions simmer
Work has already begun on a major expansion of the port in Muara – Brunei's largest port, which is jointly operated by a state-owned Chinese company – that will see the facility's capacity more than double to 500,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEU), according to the Brunei Economic Development Board.
The project, which has a total investment of 2 billion yuan (US$278 million), is on track to be completed by the end of 2027, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported over the weekend.
Southeast Asia's strategic importance to China has grown amid the trade war, as the world's second-largest economy
relies on soaring exports to the region to offset the impact of US tariffs.
China's outbound shipments to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) were up 16.6 per cent year on year last month, while its exports to the United States fell by more than 20 per cent year on year, Chinese customs data showed.
The boom in Chinese exports to Southeast Asia has become a source of concern in the US, with Washington pressuring governments across the region to
clamp down on the transshipment of Chinese-made goods in recent months.
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