Myanmar represents Asean’s biggest internal challenge to date, and Thailand’s bid for a ‘complementary’ diplomatic initiative undermines the bloc’s centrality.
There were some achievements at the meeting in Cambodia, a key event taking place just before the G20 and Apec summits.
Few countries in the region have tied green components to their stimulus packages, which contain some environmentally harmful measures.
Both countries face challenges in expanding climate cooperation: the US is beholden to domestic politics while China’s economic growth makes reducing emissions difficult.