The outcomes of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, held during intensifying US-China competition, did not reflect alignment with either superpower but a deeper commitment to avoid having to choose between the two. Leaders of the group’s 11 members—enlarged following Timor Leste’s admission—convened October 26-28 in Kuala Lumpur for the region’s still-central political and economic forum. They openly hedged, accepting US market access and security cooperation while deepening economic entanglement with Beijing. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar bin Ibrahim embodied the approach in his opening remarks in which he emphasized maintaining autonomy and called for “dialogue over coercion, balance over binaries, cooperation over confrontation”.
Friends to All: Southeast Asia Diversifies, but ASEAN Falters (Colleen Scribner – German Marshall Fund of the United States)
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