Joanne Lin and Jasmine Yeo show how insights from two major regional surveys in 2025 capture the forces shaping ASEAN’s confidence in a year of shifting global winds.
Category Archives: ASEANFocus
A New Deal for the Mekong
Anoulak Kittikhoun argues that by treating the Mekong as an interconnected system rather than a patchwork of national interests, ASEAN can help transform the river into a model of regional cooperation, sustainability, and shared prosperity.
Korea’s New ASEAN Policy: Pragmatic Partnership for a Shared Future
Lee Jaehyon and Ko Youngkyung elaborate how Korea’s new ASEAN policy under President Lee Jae-myung emphasises pragmatic, and mutually beneficial cooperation across security, economic, and people-to-people domains.
47th ASEAN Summit: Steadiness Amid Shifting Tides
Joanne Lin, Melinda Martinus and Kristina Fong examine the outcomes of the 47th ASEAN Summit and assess Malaysia’s achievement as the ASEAN Chair.
Securing the ASEAN Economy in an Over-securitised World
Julia Tijaja, Muhammad Habib Abiyan Dzakwan, and Rania Teguh analyse how ASEAN can navigate the growing overlap between economic and security concerns while preserving regional resilience.
India’s Rising Profile in Southeast Asia and the Test of Strategic Relevance
Joanne Lin examines why improved perceptions of India in Southeast Asia remain fragile, and what it will take to turn momentum into meaningful cooperation.
Operationalising the AEC Strategic Plan 2026-2030: From Aspirations to Real Action
Denis Hew analyses the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Strategic Plan 2026-2030, focusing on its ambitious goals and how they can be expanded, while highlighting concerns over its actionability and the broader implications on ASEAN.
Enhancing ASEAN’s Intra-Regional Trade Need Not Require Bells and Whistles
Kristina Fong discusses how steps to strengthen ASEAN’s intra-regional trade need not require re-inventing the wheel but rather concerted efforts in practical measures to reduce trade facilitation frictions.
Why Advancing Intra-ASEAN Student Mobility Can Help Boost ASEAN’s Integration Journey
Melinda Martinus contends that increasing intra-ASEAN student mobility could unlock economic opportunities, strengthen human capital, and foster a shared regional identity, provided the bloc can overcome structural barriers.
The Mango Flavour: India and ASEAN After a Decade of the Act East Policy
ASEANFocus+ is delighted to feature Ambassador Gurjit Singh, author of The Mango Flavour: India and ASEAN After a Decade of the Act East Policy (ISEAS Publishing, 2025). Drawing on his decades of experience as a diplomat, Ambassador Singh reflects on ten years of India’s Act East Policy and assesses whether it has fulfilled its goal of deepening engagement with Southeast Asia.