Towards a More Resilient and United ASEAN – The Diplomat

Malaysia’s upcoming chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025 is met with skepticism due to concerns about balancing national interests with the bloc’s consensus-based approach, potential challenges to unity from evolving stances on international issues and ties with China, and the growing disunity within the organization amidst U.S.-China rivalry. The region is divided on aligning with the U.S. or China, complicating efforts to address key issues like the South China Sea disputes and the Myanmar crisis, highlighting the need for ASEAN to address its dependency on external powers and strengthen regional cooperation to achieve true independence and resilience.

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