China's hawkish stance in maritime rows has also nudged Indonesia to look to the United States as a counterweight to China, even as Southeast Asia's biggest power seeks good ties with Beijing. Some analysts said Jakarta could leverage Sino-U.S. rivalry to its own advantage.
"Both the U.S. and China will increasingly see Indonesia as a player to be courted. And we are already seeing this happening," said Yang Razaki Kassim at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
India also has a delicate balancing act. Its ties with China are plagued by a long-running border dispute and neither a visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao last month nor flourishing trade ties have soothed Indian anxiety.
"Policymakers are quite concerned with renewed Chinese assertiveness," said Alka Acharya, a member of India's National Security Advisory board. "But India would not want to actively project a policy where it is seen as ganging up with these countries and encircling China."
