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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.
A woman wearing a face mask pushes a cart along a road amid thick haze from forest and land fires in the region in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, on Sunday. Photo: AFP
A street vendor walks amid thick haze from wildfires in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, on Saturday. Photo: AP
Indonesia

Singapore, Indonesia to create haze task force, share data amid tensions

Indonesia has hit back at Singapore over comments on their bilateral gas supply contract, with the energy minister calling them a ‘lecture’.

China’s military

Dong Jun to miss Asean defence talks as Beijing’s fifth plenum convenes

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Indonesia

Letters | Solution to Asean haze starts with helping oil palm smallholders

Malaysia

Southeast Asia’s housing paradox: too many homes, too few buyers

Analysts point to speculative investment, financing hurdles and poor locations as factors leaving properties empty.

People wait for the elevator at a public housing building in Kuala Lumpur on October 19. Photo: AFP
High-rise buildings are seen at a distance from a highway section in Metro Manila, the Philippines, in September. Photo: EPA
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong seeks bigger role for yuan in regional trade, treasury chief says

Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui also shares lighthearted but telling anecdotes about intangible gains made during Apec meeting.

Indonesia

Indonesia cuts gas to Singapore amid Borneo, Sumatra wildfire haze

President Prabowo Subianto berated ‘countries that like to insult’ his nation over the haze crisis. He did not name specific countries.

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Indonesia

What Indonesia’s warnings of energy cuts mean for Asean

Observers say the warnings reflect a broader trend towards resource sovereignty but are unlikely to hinder progress in regional frameworks.

Captive thermal power plants and solar panel installations in North Maluku province. Indonesia has warned it could curb energy exports to countries it deems disrespectful. Photo: Indonesia’s Presidential Palace / AFP
Myanmar

Rare Suu Kyi phone call to son signals shift in Myanmar junta strategy

Kim Aris, who lives in the UK, says his 81-year-old mother sounded “fairly healthy” but he remains concerned about her well-being.

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Exclusive | Quad confirmed, Manila envoy signals likely ‘Squad’ talks before Trump-Xi summit

Philippine ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez also says he hopes Asean will become like Nato, capable of handling its own security.

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The Philippines

Asean wants a single digital economy. Will different state laws hobble its goal?

Citing implementation hurdles under Asean’s e-commerce agreement, an analyst says a proposed digital economy pact may face similar issues.

Asean leaders attend a handover ceremony at the bloc’s summit in Kuala Lumpur in October last year. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Prabowo warns regional critics Indonesia won’t be ‘insulted’ over haze

The haze has sent air pollution levels surging to dangerous levels not only at home, but also in Malaysia, Singapore and East Timor.

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Indonesian firefighters and volunteers use hoses to put out wildfires in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan province, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Video | Anger builds over Indonesia’s wildfires and toxic haze

Katingan, in Central Indonesia, has registered an air pollution index of 1,600, 5 times the limited considered ‘hazardous’.

Chinese offshore investment

In Focus | How Thailand is capturing next wave of investments in ‘China plus one’ outlook

The Land of Smiles has become a prime location for Chinese businesses diversifying operations offshore, as Vietnam reaches saturation point.

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US-China relations

First Quad leaders’ summit after 2 years in Manila next month, Rubio confirms

Meeting of US, Japan, India and Australia leaders comes days before Trump is expected to meet Xi Jinping in Shenzhen.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at a Freedom 250 reception in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday. Photo: AP
China-Asean relations

Opinion | Southeast Asia need not be a pressure valve for China’s exports

The issue is whether the region can become more capable through trade with China or if it is simply a larger outlet for China’s production.

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Containers are loaded for a China-Vietnam freight train at the Nanning International Railway Port in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on September 10. Photo: Xinhua
Donald Trump

Trump’s second Asean summit presence comes at a price for region

On the president’s list are supply-chain security, critical minerals, technology cooperation, AI and investment in the US, experts say.

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Indonesia

Asean climate monitor issues highest alert level over toxic haze

The months-long spell of haze has been disrupting life in large parts of Southeast Asia, closing schools and spiking respiratory complaints.

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Japan

Asian Angle | Why Asean’s Myanmar peace push needs Japan’s ‘silent diplomacy’

Tokyo knows how to back an Asean-led process without taking ownership of it, as decades of regional mediation show.

Japanese parliamentarian Hiromichi Watanabe (left) meets U Khin Yi, speaker of Myanmar’s House of Representatives and the leader of the Union Solidarity and Development Party, in Naypyidaw last month. Photo: Handout
The Philippines

Opinion | Philippines’ ‘China-free’ manufacturing strategy is a high-risk bet

Despite support and progress on the Luzon Economic Corridor and Pax Silica initiatives, Manila faces many challenges and much competition.

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Malaysia

Blurred vision: cries grow for Malaysia to stop being ‘too soft’ on haze

Smoke from Indonesian fires has blanketed large parts of Peninsular Malaysia, with Johor and Selangor among the worst affected states.

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Indonesia

‘Forgive us’: Indonesians urge Singapore, Malaysia to sue Jakarta over haze

Indonesians have expressed anger over the toxic smoke, with some even calling on foreign governments to impose sanctions on Jakarta.

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A man uses his smartphone to record the haze from wildfires that shrouds the area on the bank of the Kahayan River in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
2026 Xi-Trump summits

US holds ‘unusual’ civil-military meeting in Tokyo ahead of Trump’s China trip

Diplomatic, administrative and military officials said to have exchanged intelligence and aligned Asia-Pacific priorities and messaging.

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Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command (second from right), briefs senior American officials at the US naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, on October 9. Photo: Handout
South China Sea

Will South China Sea’s code of conduct remain elusive as deadline looms?

The proposed code can only succeed if it sets clear rules to prevent clashes at sea rather than to resolve territorial claims, analysts say.

The Philippines

Asia must guard against repeat of 1997 crisis: Philippine central bank chief

The pre-crash boom of the 1990s ‘wasn’t really a miracle’, Eli Remolona says, urging Asean to prepare for fresh shocks.

Social media

Plan to live-stream US execution tests Southeast Asia’s content curbs

Analysts urge regulators to step up efforts to limit resharing and improve detection tools to reduce harm to the public.

The US plan to broadcast an execution of a former Army member has raised questions on whether Southeast Asian regulators can contain the fallout. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
Indonesia

Is Indonesia’s haze rhetoric ‘unempathetic’? Words test regional cooperation

Observers say Jakarta should acknowledge its shortcomings and welcome assistance to extinguish the fires.

A child and mother wearing face masks look on from a bridge amid thick haze from forest and land fires in the region in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, on Monday. Photo: AFP
Ageing society

Opinion | Don’t leave Asia’s ageing debate until it’s too late

As the global gap between healthspan and lifespan widens to almost a decade, an ageing Asia’s health question is increasingly a business one.

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Chinese offshore investment

Indonesia weighs nickel smelter freeze: what it means for Chinese investors

Jakarta's proposed restrictions could reshape the foreign-backed supply chains feeding critical sectors, from stainless steel to electric vehicle batteries.

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