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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 (centre) stands for a group photo with Southeast Asian leaders at the 13th Asean-United States Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, 2025. Photo: AFP
Donald Trump

Asian Angle | Doubts about Trump strain Southeast Asia’s US-China balancing act

An increasingly unpredictable Washington is making the region’s traditional hedging strategy harder to sustain.

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Thailand

Thais celebrate new year despite fuel price shocks delaying travel

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US-China relations

Opinion | A stark clash of world views will overshadow Trump’s visit to China

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War and conflict

Opinion | For Asia, US-Iran ceasefire offers little relief – and much uncertainty

What may be coming is neither stable peace nor uninterrupted war, but something in between: a prolonged condition of managed instability.

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Demonstrators against military action in Iran after US President Donald Trump said he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, outside the White House in Washington on April 7. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Indonesian activists target Myanmar’s president in genocide case against him

The complaint seeks to hold Min Aung Hlaing accountable for international crimes in an Indonesian court, following recent legal changes.

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US, Israel war on Iran

US to remain key ally of Asean despite Iran war fallout: diplomat

Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink says the US still has ‘extraordinary’ influence in the region, given its trade and security ties with Asean.

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Malaysia

Singapore’s refusal to negotiate over Hormuz creates waves in Malaysia

Singapore said it would not be appealing to Iran for access to the strait as transit through crucial trade waterways was a right.

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Oil tankers anchor off Muscat, Oman, on March 7. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong’s global future depends on diverse talent

To sharpen its competitive edge, the city must look beyond traditional borders to widen its narrowing talent pipeline.

China energy security

China powers up major Southeast Asian solar project amid Iran war shock

The installation boasts more than two million solar panels and comes online as global fossil fuels face unprecedented disruption.

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Artificial intelligence

AI fuels global trade growth as China-US flows shift, McKinsey finds

Data-centre expansion and AI investment push global trade ahead of economic growth, consultancy says.

AI-linked goods accounted for about one-third of global trade growth last year, according to McKinsey. Photo: AFP
India

Opinion | Asia’s flood of cheap Ozempic generics opens gates to weight-loss abuse

Cheaper semaglutides as patent ends is good news for diabetics. But lax regulation also means a risk of abuse by those desperate to lose weight.

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An advert for Eli Lilly’s obesity awareness campaign is seen on a building in Gurugram, India, on December 16. Photo: Reuters
China's military weapons

Indonesian fisherman nets surprise catch – a Chinese underwater drone

The device was discovered near the Lombok Strait, a strategically vital deepwater passage closely watched by the US and Australia.

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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?

Readers discuss the implications of China’s five-year plan on Southeast Asia, and AI and journalism.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivers a work report during the opening session of the National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5. Photo: AFP
Global South

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

The ‘Great Insulation’ is coming – not major powers decoupling top-down but small and middle powers building a firewall from the bottom up.

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A poster depicting US President Donald Trump with devil horns at a protest in defence of national sovereignty near the US consulate in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 1, 2025. Photo: AFP
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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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.

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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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Illustration: Mario Rivera
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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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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Illustration: Craig Stephens
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.

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.

Protesters use a jeepney as a stage during a rally by transport workers and activists protesting the rise in oil prices on Friday, near the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila, Philippines. Photo: AP
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.

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.

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