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During their October 26–28 meeting, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is slated to discuss economic shifts and will likely promise more collaboration. But the bloc still lacks a coherent approach to internal conflicts, international tensions, and its position in the U.S.-China trade war.

China, Japan, South Korea—and the ten states that make up the regional organization called the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)—issued a statement on Monday that raised the eyebrows of some economists and trade experts. The countries expressed concern about “escalating trade protectionism” and agreed to work together to “reinforce long-term economic resilience” in their […]

Panelists discuss the strategic opportunities and challenges of the U.S.-ASEAN partnership in addressing pressing regional and global issues, including trade, maritime security, human rights, climate, and technology. SIMS: Well, good morning, everyone. I’m Calvin Sims. And I was a fellow here at this distinguished institution for a year after I came back after being a […]

Transcript MCMAHON: In the coming week, Southeast Asian leaders meet in Jakarta for the ASEAN summit, Mexico’s president enters the last year of his term, and new COVID variants worry public health officials. It’s August 31st, 2023 in time for The World Next Week. I am Bob McMahon. O’NEIL: And I’m Shannon O’Neil. […]

Indonesia, one of the most influential members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), will host the ASEAN leaders’ summit this September. A topic that is sure to come up is ASEAN centrality—the idea that the institution of ASEAN should be the primary force behind any region-wide architecture built in the Asia-Pacific. Though each ASEAN […]

This September, Indonesia, one of the largest and most influential members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), will host the ASEAN leaders’ summit. Building ASEAN’s footprint in the Asia-Pacific has been key to one of the central tenets of the organization—ASEAN centrality. As a consequence, some have argued that ASEAN members eye the […]

Last week, President Biden attended the ASEAN summit in Cambodia, which is currently chair of the regional organization, and also held a U.S.-ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh. The U.S.-ASEAN summit did serve some important purposes. Just showing up in Asia, as nearly every pundit has noted, is important, demonstrating face time for Southeast Asian leaders […]

Two of the most important geopolitical developments in recent years have been the revival of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (the Quad) and the focus of Quad countries — Australia, India, Japan, and the United States — on the Indo-Pacific as a theater for strategic competition with China. Yet, a very important actor in the Indo-Pacific […]

A year and a half after the 2021 coup that formally reinstalled Myanmar’s military, the junta continues its brutal campaign against resistance groups. The army has targeted both ethnic armed organizations and the People’s Defense Force, groups that launched unsuccessful nonviolent protests in response to the coup. The army continues to commit massive rights abuses […]

Show Notes Finland and Sweden intensify the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership process, U.S. President Joe Biden hosts Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders for a special summit in Washington, DC, and Lebanon holds parliamentary elections. Podcasts Mentioned on the Podcast Steven A. Cook, “The Middle East’s Reaction to the Invasion […]

President Biden just completed an important diplomacy tour with stops at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Cambodia, and the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in Indonesia. Panelists discuss what was accomplished during these meetings, and what more can be done to address pressing international […]

Show Notes Mentioned on the Podcast Renewing America, Council on Foreign Relations Transcript MCMAHON: In the coming week, Egypt hosts the COP27 Climate Summit, the closely watched U.S. midterm elections take place, and ASEAN kicks off a month of Asian Summitry. It’s November 3rd, 2022 and time for the world next week. I’m Bob McMahon. […]

Although it has been overshadowed by the war in Ukraine, the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will be holding a U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit with President Biden on May 12 and 13 in Washington. The summit had been scheduled for March, but the Ukraine war led to its postponement. Expect several themes to […]

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has never, since its founding, been as strong or united an organization as the European Union, or even in many ways as the African Union, which has shown itself capable (at least in the past) of taking collective action against coups and other breaches of democratic rule, as […]

This past weekend, the ten member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Myanmar, held an emergency summit to address the ongoing crisis in Myanmar since the February 1 coup by the military. Since then, the death toll has risen above seven hundred, thousands of people have been arrested, and the country has […]

This weekend, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will hold an emergency summit in Jakarta, focused on the dire situation in Myanmar, where the country continues to spiral toward widespread civil conflict and humanitarian crisis, and the Myanmar junta shows no sign of relenting in its iron-fisted control of the country. As a recent […]

With the situation in Myanmar disintegrating into chaos, and Myanmar possibly becoming a potential failed state, some regional powers, including the United States and Australia, have taken significant actions against the junta government. Australia has suspended military cooperation with the Myanmar military, and the Joe Biden administration has implemented a broad range of targeted sanctions […]

The planned summit between representatives from the ten countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and U.S. President Donald J. Trump in Las Vegas has been postponed, because of the coronavirus threat. The summit was supposed to be a sign that the administration is not ignoring Southeast Asia. Postponing it right now makes […]

Show Notes U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the ASEAN summit, Congress begins its August recess, and Muslims from around the world travel to Mecca for the hajj.

Last weekend’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, held in Bangkok, yielded several notable accomplishments. But several of the announced breakthroughs actually contain less than meets the eye. 1. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. At the ASEAN summit, leaders from the ten Southeast Asian nations vowed to rapidly push forward the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), […]