In order to avoid a Soviet veto to its application for United
Nations membership, Thailand was also forced to rescind its anti-
communist legislation and allow Moscow to establish a legation in
Bangkok, its first in Southeast Asia. Briefly thereafter Bangkok became
the hub of communist activity in the region for Chinese and Viet-
namese agents.^9 Subsequent military governments outlawed
communism and transferred diplomatic relations to the Republic of
China on Taiwan. Not until 1975, when the US was withdrawing from
mainland Southeast Asia and China had become the rising regional
hegemon, did Thailand transfer its recognition to Beijing.
The Second World War and its aftermath
Relations between the Nationalist Chinese government in its remote
inland wartime capital of Chongqing and the countries of Southeast
Asia all but ceased during the years of the Second World War, except,
as we have seen, in different ways with Burma and Vietnam. China was
far too engaged in its own life and death struggle against Japan to
follow closely the dramatic impact of the war in Southeast Asia.
Authorities in Chongqing were as unaware of the momentous political
changes that had occurred in the region as were officials in London
and Washington, let alone in occupied Paris and The Hague.
Though Nationalist forces were relatively ineffective against the
Japanese, at least compared to the communists, Nationalist China
came out of the war with enhanced international status. This was
partly due to effective Chinese diplomacy, and partly to strong support
from the United States: Britain and France were less eager to accord
China status as a great power with a permanent seat on the newly
created United Nations Security Council.
Enhanced Chinese status coincided with the reduced political
leverage available to former colonial powers. Throughout British
Southeast Asia, independence movements had taken advantage first
A Short History of China and Southeast Asia