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China’s Cultural Takeover of Southeast Asia

‘Cultural pollution,’ the Vietnamese Politburo called Coca Cola and other American multinationals in the early 1990s. Capitalist dogs. Advertising crooks. But the rollout was not to be stopped.

Same same – not different

That was then. But in 2025, Southeast Asia is experiencing the quiet takeover by another cultural behemoth, China.

This takeover was a long time coming. Myanmar has been a de facto colony of its northern neighbor for decades, ever since Western sanctions pushed the country in the arms of Chinese property developers, and the border towns of Laos have been transformed into a sprawling, lawless casino strip for Chinese gamblers.

All that happened somewhat out of sight. This is changing now. At present, the rest of Southeast Asia is losing much of its unique identity. With Chinese shopping malls, busloads of tourists (1.42 billion people ready to travel for the first time), and even street names in Chinese characters, it’s sometimes hard to tell whether you’re in Phnom Penh or in Shenzhen.

Is it progress? Perhaps. But the world also loses so much beauty if everything looks alike. Personally, I regret that.

Watch China’s Quiet Takeover of Southeast Asia on YouTube. This long-time resident of Siem Riep spells out what years of quiet expansion did to China’s neighbors. 

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