Southeast Asia Radio Unpacking the CSIS Global Alignment Index with Susannah Patton
Nov 13, 2025
In this discussion, Susannah Patton, Deputy Research Director at the Lowy Institute, shares her insights on the upcoming Global Alignment Index. She reveals that the U.S. and China are more evenly matched in influence than previously thought. The conversation covers the methodology behind measuring public opinion and UN voting patterns since 2008. They explore Russia's limited economic role in Southeast Asia and its surprising influence dynamics. Additionally, Susannah highlights how trade and investment shape shifting alignments, especially amidst global events like Ukraine and Gaza.
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US And China Are Competitively Matched
- The US and China are more evenly matched in Southeast Asia than common narratives suggest.
- China is consistently present across the region while US influence concentrates in the Philippines and Singapore.
Measure Outputs, Not Just Inputs
- Normative alignment (support for international norms) is a key output of influence activities, not just an input.
- CSIS built the Global Alignment Index to measure those outputs using public opinion and UN voting.
Long-Term Shift Toward The US
- The Global Alignment Index combines public opinion and UN voting to track alignment trends since 2008.
- Most countries in the dataset are more aligned with the US in 2024 than in 2008, per the index.