Wed, Sep 10, 2025 page7

• Amid great-power rivalries, ASEAN is more important than ever

  • By Anwar Ibrahim
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  Since its founding in 1967, ASEAN has cultivated a reputation for trust and dialogue that has made the region synonymous with peace, stability and dynamism. The achievements of the 10 member states — soon to be 11 with Timor-Leste’s (East Timor) expected admission later in this year — are rooted in a culture of consensus, open communication and solidarity. That tradition of cooperation has enabled ASEAN to manage tensions, prevent conflict and nurture prosperity across one of the world’s most diverse regions.

  ASEAN’s spirit of solidarity was tested when Malaysia, the group’s current chair, convened the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand amid violent clashes along their border. Through careful listening, principled mediation and the constructive involvement of the US and China, the parties secured an immediate ceasefire.

  The episode reaffirmed not only the enduring value of dialogue and mutual respect, but also the confidence that ASEAN’s citizens place in the association as a custodian of peace and stability.

  As great-power rivalries escalate, geo-economic competition intensifies and confidence in multilateralism erodes, ASEAN faces a changed world. In such an environment, the bloc’s centrality is not merely a diplomatic aspiration — it is an existential necessity.

  Established amid the turbulence of the Cold War, ASEAN has long stood for peace, neutrality and stability. The 46th ASEAN Summit, held in Kuala Lumpur in May, reaffirmed that mission while marking a historic milestone: the unanimous decision to welcome East Timor as its 11th member, deepening ASEAN’s commitment to inclusivity and unity.

  Preserving ASEAN’s autonomy — the ability to speak with one voice rather than being spoken for — requires vigilance. It demands that the bloc holds fast to the values of patience and steady diplomacy that have long underpinned the regional order.

  With a population of 660 million, ASEAN is one of the world’s most dynamic markets. To realize its potential, the region must narrow development gaps and forge stronger, more equitable linkages among member states.

  At the 47th ASEAN Summit next month, also in Kuala Lumpur, the group would advance efforts to dismantle tariff and nontariff barriers and renew its commitment to trade that delivers inclusive, sustainable benefits.

  As protectionism rises and tariff wars threaten global growth, ASEAN must chart a different path and build resilience through openness and reform. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the largest trade agreement in history, anchors ASEAN’s regional economic architecture. Its effective implementation is vital to ensuring tangible opportunities for its people and sustained prosperity for its economies.

  At the same time, ASEAN must broaden its global partnerships. The landmark ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-China Summit earlier this year, alongside ongoing efforts to modernize agreements with China, India and South Korea, underscores the bloc’s readiness to build bridges well beyond its immediate neighborhood.

  With the digital economy set to drive ASEAN’s next phase of growth, concluding the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework has become an urgent priority, particularly amid intensifying competition for leadership in artificial intelligence and other transformative technologies.

  The initiatives — covering trade, technology and connectivity — serve a single overriding purpose: safeguarding ASEAN’s autonomy in an era of uncertainty. At the May summit, ASEAN leaders warned against unilateral trade measures, retaliatory tariffs and growing fragmentation. Its response to these global threats must be a renewed commitment to openness, reform and a rules-based trading system.

  Economic openness fosters resilience and reform. Fragmentation, by contrast, drives up costs, discourages investment and increases vulnerability to shocks. Currency volatility, sudden capital flight, and disruptions to food, energy and raw-material supply chains quickly spill across borders, destabilizing societies. While globalization has its flaws, it has also created interdependence through shared interests, curbing reckless unilateralism.

  That restraint is more necessary than ever in the face of climate change. Embedding sustainability in ASEAN’s economic agenda is an urgent imperative. The acceleration of the ASEAN Power Grid exemplifies its determination to invest in clean energy, generate green jobs and achieve long-term energy security. Business as usual is no longer an option; bold action today is the price of a just and sustainable tomorrow.

  In an increasingly unpredictable world, ASEAN’s fortunes would rise or fall together. It must therefore strengthen its cohesion by revitalizing longstanding geostrategic frameworks, such as the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality, and by reinforcing ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum. These platforms remain indispensable for dialogue, trust-building and preventive diplomacy.

  The ASEAN-GCC Summit, along with our new trilateral initiative with the GCC and China, represents a bold step toward aligning Southeast Asia’s talent and energy needs with Gulf capital and China’s global reach. The newly established ASEAN Geoeconomics Task Force would further strengthen our capacity to respond collectively in times of volatility and uncertainty.

  ASEAN cannot dictate the course of global events, but neither must we resign ourselves to passivity. We can, and we must, shape our own future with courage, foresight and solidarity. By staying true to its founding values while adapting to new realities, ASEAN can remain a beacon of peace, prosperity and progress for generations to come.

  Anwar Ibrahim is prime minister and minister of finance of Malaysia.

  Copyright: Project Syndicate
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