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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.
US President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping before a bilateral meeting at the Gimhae International Airport terminal in South Korea in October. Photo: Daniel Torok/White House/dpa
Donald Trump

Most in Asean prefer China over US in survey, Trump cited as biggest concern

Support for China was stronger in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, according to the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute survey.

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China economy

Letters | Can China pursue tech self-sufficiency and market openness at once?

Global South

Opinion | Global South nations are insulating themselves from the heat of US actions

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United States

Opinion | Fixing US branding woes starts with rebuilding trust Trump has damaged

Lavishly funded celebrations will not fly in Asian countries struggling to get by and increasingly sceptical of Trump’s America.

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A driver pushes his auto rickshaw to get compressed natural gas at a filling station in Peshawar, Pakistan, as the government reduces the station’s working hours to save energy on March 18. Photo: AP
Middle East

Letters | Iran war can increase vulnerability to human trafficking in Southeast Asia

Readers discuss the impact of the war on already struggling people, and coping with the effects of “blandemic” buildings.

Indonesia

Cultural capitals: Southeast Asia seeks soft power to outlast the buzz

The region’s creators are going global, but the structures to sustain them are still catching up.

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Scams and swindles

Cambodia’s high-stakes war on online scam compounds

Cambodia has vowed to stamp out the scam compounds on its soil by month’s end – but perpetrators remain drawn to the potential for huge profits.

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Illustration: Davies Christian
Myanmar

From general to Myanmar president: Min Aung Hlaing’s ‘cosmetic’ rebrand

His transition from top general to president is a ‘veneer’ that poses a challenge for Asean, which has long shunned him, critics say.

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War and conflict

Opinion | Iran war is changing East Asia’s energy and strategic plays

States like China and Russia that can provide energy, industrial inputs, strategic reassurance or room for manoeuvre are gaining weight.

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US, Israel war on Iran

How Asean’s neutral stance in Iran war protects its energy security

Granting Southeast Asian vessels safe passage through the strait allows Iran to come across as a diplomatic good guy, analysts say.

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An oil tanker sits anchored off Muscat, Oman, on March 10. Photo: Reuters
Myanmar

Video | Myanmar’s junta chief set to continue rule as civilian president

With the military controlling parliament, Min Aung Hlaing is widely expected to be elected president.

epa12859710 A handout picture made available by the Myanmar military information team shows outgoing Myanmar military Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (R) greeting as he leaves after a ceremony to transfer the duties of the Myanmar military Commander-in-Chief in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, 30 March 2026. Myanmar's military chief Min Aung Hlaing was nominated for the presidency on 29 March, as parliament convened after a general election that excluded the country's largest opposition parties. EPA/MYANMAR MILITARY INFORMATION TEAM HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES
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Myanmar

Myanmar paves way for junta chief to be civilian president

Min Aung Hlaing has ruled Myanmar since 2021 when he ordered a coup toppling the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

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The Philippines

Philippine oil refiner Petron buys Russian crude, seeks alternatives

The Philippines sources nearly all of its oil from the Middle East and is trying to find alternative sources.

Indonesia

Indonesia slashes free meals budget to save US$2.3 billion as fuel prices soar

President Prabowo Subianto had previously insisted that the meal programme would be untouched.

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Students pray before eating food supplied by the Indonesian government’s free meal programme at an elementary school in Banda Aceh, Aceh province, Indonesia, on October 30 last year. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

Opinion | AI infrastructure on the front line: Lessons for Asean from the Iran war

It’s time Southeast Asia reckoned with the weaponisation of artificial intelligence and what it means for the region’s security.

A plume of smoke rises after a reported Iranian strike on fuel tanks in Muharraq, Bahrain, on March 12. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Singapore seizes record Asian pangolin scales disguised as ‘dried fish skin’

The scales – estimated to be from more than 2,200 pangolins – were found after officials intercepted an inbound truck carrying sea cargo.

Energy

Burning daylight: Asean’s power grid plans get an Iran war jolt

Oil is up, coal is back and so are fuel queues. As the Middle East burns, Southeast Asia dusts off an old plan to rewire its future.

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Defence

Activists push for Cop31 to discuss impact of wars on global climate

Military activities are hampering the transition towards renewable energy, with data transparency lacking among major defence spenders.

A damaged police station in Tehran following Israeli and US strikes on March 3. Global conflicts are hampering climate goals to reduce or end fossil fuel use. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
The Philippines

As Philippines battles fuel crisis, will Marcos postpone Asean summit?

Lawmakers have urged the president to postpone or scale down the event and redirect funds towards softening the blow of rising energy costs.

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Singapore

As haze returns to Singapore, is crisis ‘quietly accepted’ by Asean?

Some Singaporeans are resigned to tolerating the annual occurrence despite the health risks and higher electricity bills.

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China trade

‘Demand shock’: why China cannot escape the impact of a prolonged Iran war

China’s economy is more resilient than most, but a decline in global demand sparked by the war would hurt Chinese exporters, analyst warns.

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The US-Israel war on Iran could reduce demand for fuel in Southeast Asia, indirectly hurting Chinese oil refineries. Photo: Getty Images
Boao Forum for Asia

As Iran war rages, China links peace to economic growth at Boao Forum

Beijing will continue promoting free trade, openness and a sound legal system for business, top legislator says.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, at the Boao Forum for Asia in Boao, south China’s Hainan province, on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua
China exports

China starts going global in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia has become the biggest destination for Chinese companies going global, driven by geographical proximity, regional manufacturing skills and free-trade agreements.

China trade

Chinese island province wants more than beachgoers as it chases economic growth

After three speculative booms – and busts – the island province is seeking sustainable growth based on new status as a free-trade port.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Look East? South Asia’s fate is far more intertwined with Middle East

Beyond oil, remittances and cultural ties, trade and defence pacts in recent years have added to strategic and security interconnectedness.

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hug after signing a defence pact, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 17, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong firms face profit squeeze as US importers cut orders amid oil crisis

City’s business leaders also say government should bolster ties with Central Asia and Asean nations to diversify market risks.

Kwai Chung Container Terminal. Photo: Elson Li
The Philippines

Why Philippines struggles to tap its US$1 trillion mineral wealth

Without a proper road map to grow its mining sector, the country remains a ‘second-tier mineral economy’.

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Thailand

Video | Thai ‘Death Fest’ offers new look at the end of life

Three-day event brings together exhibits, discussions and workshops to encourage visitors to talk about the inevitable.

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