Publication

China’s increasingly assertive behavior is often cited as the trigger behind the leap in Southeast Asia’s arms purchases. However, this study explores how other domestic and foreign policy factors have contributed to military spending increases in the region. More specifically, the author first analyzes contemporary arms dynamics in Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. He then outlines how the factors that have helped fuel the region’s arms buildup include 1) lasting territorial conflicts between Southeast Asian states; 2) internal revolutionary movements; and 3) the political influence of national armed forces.