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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 President Xi Jinping (left), seen here with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia, Brazil, in November, 2024. The pair have agreed to accelerate negotiations for a trade agreement between China and Mercosur. Photo: Xinhua
China-Latin America relations

Squeezed by US tariffs, Brazil backs China-Mercosur deal it long tried to kill

Xi and Lula agree to fast track Mercosur trade talks, endorsing a deal Brasilia fought to bury when Uruguay first proposed it.

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North Korea

What North Korea’s ‘rare rebuke’ means for its Asean ties

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Myanmar

Myanmar military escalates civilian killings under new command, monitor reports

Energy

Asian Angle | Decades of talk, zero barrels stored: why can’t Asean stockpile oil?

The Iran war energy crisis revived Asean’s joint reserve plans. To avoid another shelved ambition, the bloc needs swift, binding action.

Southeast Asia is projected to account for one-fifth of global energy demand growth through 2035. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Asian Angle | Southeast Asia must embrace reforms for ‘China plus one’ to succeed

The region needs to build strong institutions, pursue industrial policies that allow local firms to compete and upgrade its supply chains.

Malaysia

Why new US tariffs threaten Trump government’s credibility in Asean

The additional duties come just a day after Marco Rubio tells Southeast Asian foreign ministers that the US is ‘with Asean 100 per cent’.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Can Southeast Asia survive more Iran war fuel shocks?

Analysts warn the region cannot fully insulate itself from an extended conflict if the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted.

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Black smoke rises following explosions near a military base hosting US forces in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, on Friday. Photo: AP
South China Sea

Beijing and Manila trade blame on second day of Scarborough Shoal clashes

Chinese coastguard use water cannon during maritime stand-off, the third with the Philippines in the South China Sea since Monday.

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US-China relations

Editorial | Wang-Rubio meeting after Trump remarks shows guard rail is up and working

Not even Trump’s inflammatory accusations of Chinese election interference have derailed the relationship.

China-Latin America relations

China vows to defend Brazil’s sovereignty as Trump’s 25% tariff bites

Wang Yi tells Brazilian foreign minister Beijing backs Brazil’s sovereignty, and asks for support on ‘China’s own core interests’ in return.

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Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira (centre, left) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (centre, right) meet on the sidelines of the Asean foreign ministers' meeting in Manila, the Philippines, on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua
The Philippines

Indonesia-Philippines power link sparks hopes of cheap energy, stable supply

Efforts to establish links under the Asean Power Grid scheme would first need to overcome technical and political hurdles, experts say.

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Makati, the business district of Metro Manila, lights up as night falls. Photo: Shutterstock
Belt and Road Initiative

China Unicom connects Hong Kong-Cambodia cable, widening undersea data network

The submarine cable project ties city with a high-speed data and information corridor running through Southeast Asia.

Diplomacy

Opinion | How China and Indonesia can build a truly sturdy partnership

From handling business friction to aligning long-term goals, three practical steps can elevate ties beyond economic convenience.

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US-China relations

As Rubio-Wang talks near, Trump dials down China election meddling rhetoric

US president says Washington will discuss alleged 2020 election interference with Beijing but plays down prospects of retaliation.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is seen on Sunday before flying to Manila ahead of Asean meetings, where he is expected to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Photo: AP
Indonesia

Why investors are upbeat on the long-delayed Asean power grid

Investors and policymakers at the Nusa Dua Forum say that AI-driven demand is boosting optimism for cross-border power trade.

Workers install solar panels on the roof of a warehouse near Jurong Island in Singapore last year. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Can Philippines turn reforms into gains in Southeast Asia’s FDI race?

Reforms have thrust the country into the spotlight as it seeks to lure capital away from Vietnam, Malaysia and elsewhere.

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Mainland China

Opinion | Southeast Asia must write its own trade rules for China’s ‘flying geese’

As Chinese manufacturers migrate south, Asean has the leverage to dictate terms on local sourcing and skills training.

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South Korea

‘Gateway to Asean’: South Korea bets on Vietnam hub for food expansion

Vietnam will be positioned as a logistics and distribution base aimed at growing demand for South Korean food products across the region.

A food vendor (right) talks to a customer at Gwangjang market in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
South China Sea

Opinion | Path to South China Sea stability doesn’t run through US, UK or the EU

The statement by 14 countries is a geopolitical exercise, amplifying the flawed 2016 Hague arbitral ruling to try to drive a wedge between China and its neighbours.

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Cambodia

Opinion | Cambodia aspires to shed its dependencies while staying connected

As it seeks connectivity, Phnom Penh must build diplomatic bridges with as much effort as it constructs ports and canals.

China trade

China’s power exports to Asean surge 40% in first half of 2026

Myanmar is leading the export surge for China’s power in Asean, with exports to the country nearly doubling in the first five months.

High-voltage transmission towers and power lines in Dunhuang, China on June 1. Photo: Zhe Ji
China trade

China’s trade surges in first half of 2026, extending growth streak

Exports rose by 27 per cent year on year and imports grew by 36 per cent last month, both beating projections.

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Containers at a port in Nanjing in China’s Jiangsu province. Photo: AFP
Myanmar

Myanmar edges out of isolation as Asean steps up engagement

Bangkok talks spark warnings that Southeast Asian diplomats are legitimising a military regime still waging a bloody war on its own people.

China airliners

China’s C919 on Malaysia Airlines’ radar, but Western certification preferred

Opportunities for Comac’s C919 will increase with certification by Western aviation regulators, a Malaysia Aviation Group executive says.

Myanmar

Aung San Suu Kyi will be looked after, Myanmar envoy tells Asean

Suu Kyi is serving a 27-year sentence, ⁠recently commuted by one-third, on a series of charges that her allies said were fabricated to keep her out ‌of politics.

Aung San Suu Kyi, then a Member of Parliament, speaks at the Low Memorial Library at Columbia University in New York on September 22, 2012. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Malaysia, Thailand make peace over seafood row after Anwar and Anutin meet

The two leaders also agreed to develop a ⁠special border economic ⁠zone and boost agricultural cooperation.

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Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (left) with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Myanmar

Myanmar has ‘a mountain to climb’ to woo 2 million tourists a year

Myanmar saw 4.5 million tourist arrivals at the peak in 2015, but the numbers have fallen sharply since the military coup in 2021.

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Singapore

Can Singapore and Indonesia’s energy push kick-start regional power grid?

The cooperation could boost both countries’ sustainability goals and help shape regional frameworks for the Asean Power Grid, analysts say.

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