In a business analysis carried by Huanqiu Net that drew on Japan's Mainichi Shimbun and Korean media, the Global Times said Southeast Asia's consumer market of nearly 700 million people is becoming a shared battleground for Chinese, Japanese and Korean food companies. Japan moved in early and has strong brand recognition, South Korea expands through linked government, corporate and big-retail efforts, and Chinese firms are speeding into local retail networks, it said.

For background, the piece cited the Asian Development Bank's forecast of 4.7 percent real GDP growth this year for developing Southeast Asian economies. ASEAN data put the regional market at about 3.9 trillion dollars with roughly 680 million people and a growing middle class, and all three countries are RCEP members with ASEAN, deepening trade and supply-chain ties.

Japan's lead narrows, Korea closes in

Japanese food remains strong. At Thailand's Asia food fair in May, JETRO brought 41 companies and 7 groups, and a Japan pavilion survey of 1,245 consumers found most interest in Japanese tea, seafood and beef; many big Thai supermarkets have matcha sections. Japan's 2025 agri-food exports were 95.4 billion yen to Vietnam, 73.5 billion to Thailand and 56.3 billion to Singapore. A 2023 Nomura Research Institute survey of six ASEAN countries found 49 percent chose Japanese brands for processed food and drinks, 15 points above Korean brands, but a 2025 instant-food survey showed Japan and Korea roughly level in Bangkok and Korea ahead in Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City. Nomura's Thailand senior manager Toshiya Kobayashi said Korean brands are catching up and Japan's former overwhelming edge is gone.

Korea has leaned on cultural content. In 2024 Vietnam imported 9.863 million dollars of seaweed from Korea against 562,000 from Japan, about 17.5 times as much, and prepared soy milk was 56.42 million versus 8.73 million. Korea's first-half 2026 agri-food exports to ASEAN were 933.4 million dollars, up 1.6 percent, with categories widening from ramen, snacks and drinks to fresh strawberries and grapes, and strong demand for rice cakes and tteokbokki.

Distribution and promotion are Korea's distinctive route. Beyond supermarkets, products ride Korean convenience stores and global restaurant supply chains, with Korean gochujang, desserts and beverage ingredients reaching Vietnam and Indonesia through McDonald's. An October 2024 Korean food fair in Ho Chi Minh City drew 39 exporters and 150 buyers from Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and elsewhere, with 75 million dollars in talks, and Korea pairs it with ramen cooking contests, kimchi experiences and influencer promotion plus more halal outreach to Indonesia and Malaysia. K-dramas and K-pop have raised brand awareness.

China: price-performance and fast localization

Chinese food was highlighted for variety and value. First-half 2025 Chinese agricultural exports to ASEAN were about 10.8 billion dollars, of which vegetables and mushrooms were 18.3 percent, aquatic products 17.1 percent and fruit 13.1 percent. Chacha Food entered Indonesian convenience stores, Ganyuan Foods got into Vietnamese supermarkets and convenience stores via local distributors, and Yanjinpuzi products reached mainstream Thai retail. Thailand's The Nation reported Chinese supermarkets have spread from Bangkok's Chinese neighborhoods to malls, neighborhood commerce and tourist cities, with goods widening from traditional seasonings to snacks, tea drinks, instant noodles, mala seasoning, hotpot ingredients and ready meals.

Euromonitor said Chinese brands pair price advantage with fast localization and innovation to achieve affordable premiumization. Haidilao has extended into self-heating hotpot, hotpot base and instant noodles, and Yili into probiotic drinks, cheese and ice cream. Korean media judged that Chinese brands build awareness quickly via short video, local influencers and livestream commerce, and are even a step ahead of Korean brands in digital marketing.

Wang Hanyi of Shanghai International Studies University's China-UK humanities exchange center sums up Chinese firms' edge in three points: supply chain and cost, product fit with sweet-and-spicy flavors and ready-to-eat snacks that suit young Southeast Asians, and the local organization to gain channels fast through joint ventures and acquisitions. The article says several Chinese food and beverage firms have announced Southeast Asian plants this year, and Wang advises shifting from exporting to deep localized operations, building long-term trust through compliance and quality.