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Asean

Asean
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the Asean Declaration by Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress and cultural development of its member states and the protection of regional peace and stability.
Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun (from left) and Foreign Minister Wang Yi link arms with Prak Sokhonn, Cambodian deputy prime minister, and Cambodian Defence Minister General Tea Seiha. Photo: Handout/Agence Kampuchea Press
China-Asean relations

China calls on Cambodia for ‘shared security and risks’ during global turmoil

Defence and foreign ministers meet in Phnom Penh after Hun Manet describes China as a ‘most important and most trustworthy good friend’.

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US, Israel war on Iran

New direction: Southeast Asian airports fill Middle East hub gap

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Indonesia

Why Indonesia is ceding its role as Asean’s natural leader to Singapore

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Malaysia

Malaysian sultan warns Asean staring at ‘economic crisis’ over Hormuz closure

Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah said Southeast Asia faces food and energy insecurity, urging swift Middle East conflict resolution.

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Vehicles line up to fill LPG at a fuel station in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last month. Photo: EPA
Energy

Work-from-home may not save as much energy as Southeast Asia hopes

Remote work for civil servants sounds like an easy solution in an energy crisis. Analysts aren’t so sure.

Artificial intelligence

Opinion | The world can look to Hong Kong as a pioneer of ethical AI

As emerging markets chart their own destinies regarding artificial intelligence, the city can serve as a nexus for responsible governance.

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Indonesia

Opinion | How new US-Indonesia defence pact sharpens China’s ‘Malacca dilemma’

The US is investing in the systems, skills and relationships that would matter if access to the Strait of Malacca ever came under pressure.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth hosts an honour cordon for Indonesia’s Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin at the Pentagon, in Washington, US, on April 13. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Vietnam, Philippines trust Japan. But Indonesia’s more cautious

Analysts say Indonesia worries about its neutrality as Tokyo ramps up ties with the US and lags behind China on green investment.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | As Iran war fallout hits Southeast Asia, US is losing influence to China

Asean survey reflects China’s growing strategic influence but also concerns. The question is: will China crowd the US out of the region?

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Cambodia

Video | Cambodian man deported to Africa by Trump administration

Pheap Rom was among 20 men sent to Eswatini under Trump’s ‘third country’ deals.

Cambodian Pheap Rom poses for picture at a restaurant in Phnom Penh on March 30, 2026. A Cambodian refugee long-settled in the United States, ex-convict Pheap Rom, remains bewildered at how he wound up behind bars in the African nation of Eswatini for months after being swept up in Donald Trump’s deportation blitz. (Photo by TANG CHHIN Sothy / AFP) / To go with ‘Cambodia-Eswatini-US-Migrants-Rights-Crime’ Focus by Suy Se and Matt Surrusco
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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | How Hong Kong can beat Singapore as the launch pad for Chinese firms

Chinese enterprises going global is this decade’s economic story. Hong Kong needs a system to guide them through each stage of their journey.

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Hong Kong’s dense, chaotic urban environment is not a flaw; it is an invaluable living laboratory for innovation. Photo: Getty Images / iStockphoto
China exports

Iran war energy shock threatens Southeast Asia’s supply chains. A win for China?

US and European importers are shifting some orders back to China – but not everyone is optimistic.

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South China Sea

Opinion | Without restraint, Beijing and Manila can’t deliver the South China Sea code

Much hinges on how China and the Philippines manage the distrust between their frontline maritime forces.

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Japan

Why Japan will remain the most trusted power in Asean despite military push

A survey by ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute shows respondents trusted Japan more as a power than the EU, the US, China and India.

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Japan’s National Defence Academy students participate in a parade in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture on April 5. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Why Southeast Asian nations are skipping major US-Philippine Balikatan drills

Given the rivalry between Washington and Beijing, joining the annual military exercise may risk being seen as picking the US, analysts say.

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Philippine Navy Colonel Dennis Hernandez (left) looks on as United States Marines Colonel Robert Bunn speaks during a Balikatan briefing on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
Indonesia

Why Indonesia’s Prabowo is in Russia – and what he needs from Putin

The visit aims to secure discounted crude as global prices soar, even as Jakarta holds high-level defence talks with Washington.

Donald Trump

Asian Angle | Doubts about Trump strain Southeast Asia’s US-China balancing act

An increasingly unpredictable Washington is making the region’s traditional hedging strategy harder to sustain.

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Thailand

Thais celebrate new year despite fuel price shocks delaying travel

Thailand is gearing up for its biggest annual holiday, Songkran, as soaring fuel prices drive up costs for Thais travelling for the celebrations.

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Passengers wait at Mo Chit bus terminal with their belongings to travel back home during the Thai traditional New Year Songkran holiday, in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

Opinion | A stark clash of world views will overshadow Trump’s visit to China

As Xi and Trump prepare to meet, the divergence between their visions of global order has never been more acute.

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War and conflict

Opinion | For Asia, US-Iran ceasefire offers little relief – and much uncertainty

What may be coming is neither stable peace nor uninterrupted war, but something in between: a prolonged condition of managed instability.

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Indonesia

Indonesian activists target Myanmar’s president in genocide case against him

The complaint seeks to hold Min Aung Hlaing accountable for international crimes in an Indonesian court, following recent legal changes.

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Myanmar’s then junta chief Min Aung Hlaing attends an army parade in Naypyitaw in 2021. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

US to remain key ally of Asean despite Iran war fallout: diplomat

Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink says the US still has ‘extraordinary’ influence in the region, given its trade and security ties with Asean.

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Southeast Asian ministers pose for a group photo during the Asean Economic Ministers’ Retreat in Manila, the Philippines, on March 13. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

Singapore’s refusal to negotiate over Hormuz creates waves in Malaysia

Singapore said it would not be appealing to Iran for access to the strait as transit through crucial trade waterways was a right.

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong’s global future depends on diverse talent

To sharpen its competitive edge, the city must look beyond traditional borders to widen its narrowing talent pipeline.

China energy security

China powers up major Southeast Asian solar project amid Iran war shock

The installation boasts more than two million solar panels and comes online as global fossil fuels face unprecedented disruption.

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China General Nuclear Power Group’s solar project in Laos. Photo: CCTV
Artificial intelligence

AI fuels global trade growth as China-US flows shift, McKinsey finds

Data-centre expansion and AI investment push global trade ahead of economic growth, consultancy says.

AI-linked goods accounted for about one-third of global trade growth last year, according to McKinsey. Photo: AFP
India

Opinion | Asia’s flood of cheap Ozempic generics opens gates to weight-loss abuse

Cheaper semaglutides as patent ends is good news for diabetics. But lax regulation also means a risk of abuse by those desperate to lose weight.

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China's military weapons

Indonesian fisherman nets surprise catch – a Chinese underwater drone

The device was discovered near the Lombok Strait, a strategically vital deepwater passage closely watched by the US and Australia.

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