China, US, and Nuclear Energy Geopolitics in Southeast Asia
The article analyzes the growing strategic competition between China and the United States in nuclear reactor exports, particularly focused on Southeast Asia. China's 15th Five-Year Plan outlines ambitions to become a global leader in nuclear energy governance and reactor exports. Simultaneously, the US, Japan, and South Korea announced a Memorandum of Cooperation at the NATO Summit to accelerate small modular reactor (SMR) deployment in the Indo-Pacific. Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam are setting targets to operate their first reactors before 2035, driven by rising electricity demand from data centers and EVs. The article contrasts the state-owned approaches of China and Russia with the US private-sector-led model supported by government programs like FIRST and EXIM financing. Russia's export capabilities are hampered by sanctions, while China has only built reactors in Pakistan so far. The analysis highlights that importing a reactor entails a century-long commitment of political, logistical, and legal alignment.
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