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National flags of ASEAN members on display
Image: Achmad Ibrahim/AP Photo/picture alliance

Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)

The organization, which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, was founded in 1967 to improve cooperation in a region where the US and China are competing for influence.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

DW reporter Mu Cui with ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn at the Munich Securuty Conference 2026

ASEAN head signals optimism on stabilizing South China Sea

ASEAN head signals optimism on stabilizing South China Sea

Kao Kim Hourn told DW at the MSC there is "hope" that Southeast Asian countries will resolve tensions with Beijing.
PoliticsFebruary 17, 202608:40 min
Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro speaking to DW at the MSC about the country's goals as chair of ASEAN

The Philippines is chair of ASEAN — these are its goals

The Philippines is chair of ASEAN — these are its goals

At the MSC the Philippines' foreign affairs secretary spoke about the country's goals as ASEAN chair in 2026
PoliticsFebruary 15, 202605:13 min
An official of the Union Election Commission counts ballots at a polling station, during the first phase of the Myanmar general election, in Naypyitaw

Myanmar: An election with no real choice

Myanmar: An election with no real choice

Myanmar is holding its first election since the coup amid doubts over whether it can bring stability or legitimacy.
PoliticsDecember 29, 2025
A man wearing protective gear and a helmet is seen holding a metal detector, searching for mines in a rice field in Cambodia

Southeast Asia uneasy as European states quit landmine ban

Southeast Asia uneasy as European states quit landmine ban

As several European nations quit the landmark landmine ban, Southeast Asia worries decades of progress could stall.
ConflictsDecember 11, 2025
US President Donald Trump gives a fist pump on Air Force One at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on October 27, 2025

Why Trump holds sway over Southeast Asia

Why Trump holds sway over Southeast Asia

Critics say Trump's Asia tour is part of a push for prestige — and a possible Nobel Peace Prize.
ConflictsOctober 27, 2025
Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet and US President Donald Trump take part in the ceremonial signing of a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, 2025.

Trump's ASEAN visit yields Thai-Cambodian truce, trade deals

Trump's ASEAN visit yields Thai-Cambodian truce, trade deals

The US president's stop at the ASEAN summit is part of a multi-stop tour of Asia aimed at building leverage over China.
TradeOctober 26, 202502:35 min
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

A woman walks past a wall with the ASEAN 2025 logo. She is wearing a headscarf and looking at her phone.

ASEAN summit: Torn between China and the US

China and the US are trying to make the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations choose a side.
PoliticsOctober 25, 2025
US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands at the White House on February 13, 2025

India's Modi to miss Trump at ASEAN as oil tensions persist

Face-to-face talks with Donald Trump are off the table, dimming hopes of a detente with Washington over Russian oil.
PoliticsOctober 23, 2025
A aerial view of jetty at nickel mining site on August 3, 2023 in North Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

Is China an environmental friend or foe for Southeast Asia?

China is a big clean energy investor, but its firms are in the headlines for pollution and environmental degradation.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 23, 2025
Thai forensic police officers (C) inspect the site of a deadly attack outside the district office of Sungai Kolok in the southern Thailand province of Narathiwat (March 9, 2025)

Will Thailand's deep south ever see lasting peace?

Thailand's Muslim-majority provinces have been gripped by a decades-long separatist insurgency. Can peace be achieved?
ConflictsMay 22, 2025
Workers installing solar panels on a roof of the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta

EU's reputation grows among Southeast Asian elites

The EU is still the preferred "middle power" between the US and China — but Japan is catching up, a new ASEAN poll says.
TradeApril 12, 2025
Vietnamese border guards bring injured fishermen to hospital for medical treatment

Vietnam fishermen caught up in South China Sea tensions

The rise in violent attacks in the South China Sea raises concerns over ASEAN states' ability to protect fishermen.
ConflictsNovember 22, 2024
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