By Karen Lema
MANILA, Nov 12 (Reuters) – Major powers will join a summit next week of Southeast Asian nations hosted by the Philippines against one of the most complex backdrops for the regional bloc, from the Iran war that has battered economies to the growing US-China rivalry.
Closer to home, the 11 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are grappling with a crisis in civil war-torn Myanmar, conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, and tension over competing claims in the South China Sea.
Here are five key aspects of the bloc.
WHAT IS ASEAN AND WHY WAS IT FORMED?
ASEAN was founded on August 8, 1967, when Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand signed the Bangkok Declaration, setting goals for economic and other types of cooperation and regional peace and stability.
Unlike the European Union, ASEAN has no body that can impose decisions on members.
WHO ARE THE BLOC’S MEMBERS AND HOW BIG IS IT?
After the initial five nations, Brunei joined in 1984, Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Myanmar in 1997 and Cambodia in 1999. Timor-Leste became the 11th member in October 2025.
Its combined population of 693.2 million in 2025 accounts for 8.4% of the world’s population.
The bloc’s combined output of $4.3 trillion would rank it as the fifth-largest economy in the world if considered as a single unit, while ASEAN data shows goods trade stood at $4.4 trillion.
The ASEAN Economic Community aims to establish a single market and production base, but non-tariff barriers and uneven progress still limit integration.
Collective action is complicated by vast political, economic and social differences among members, who have varying security ties with China and the United States. Four have formal claims in the crowded waterway of the South China Sea.
WHAT HAS ASEAN ACHIEVED, AND WHAT CRISES HAVE TESTED IT?
ASEAN helped build a regional order based on regular dialogue among countries with a history of conflict. Its forums bring China, the United States, Russia, Japan and India to the same table.
It has built a network of free-trade pacts as well as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership linking Southeast Asia with China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Economic crises have tested it.
The 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis exposed its vulnerability to cross-border shocks and helped spur cooperation with China, Japan and South Korea, including the 2000 Chiang Mai Initiative, now a $240-billion regional financial safety net.
In 2026, it added a facility to provide rapid liquidity during sudden shocks such as natural disasters and pandemics.
Political and security crises have proved harder to resolve; strife-torn Myanmar, tension between Thailand and Cambodia, and South China Sea disputes test ASEAN’s consensus-based approach.
WHAT IS ASEAN CENTRALITY?
“ASEAN centrality” is the principle that Southeast Asian nations should act together to stay at the centre of institutions shaping the region, rather than letting outside powers set the agenda.
By hosting forums involving major powers, ASEAN allows smaller members to project a stronger collective voice.
But its principles of consensus and non-interference can slow decisions and dilute responses, while ASEAN lacks enforcement powers to make governments change course.
Its centrality faces growing pressure as US-China rivalry intensifies and major powers pursue external groupings.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE MANILA SUMMIT
On the expected agenda for the 49th ASEAN Summit from November 15 to 17 are issues such as energy security, artificial intelligence and transboundary pollution, is well as concerns over Myanmar, Thai-Cambodian tension, and South China Sea disputes.
Energy security has become more urgent as the Middle East conflict threatens fuel supplies and prices. The Philippines has also made AI a priority during its term as ASEAN chair.
ASEAN’s five-point Myanmar peace plan has failed to halt fighting. The Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire has held since December, but the border dispute remains unresolved.
Transboundary haze has returned as a regional issue after months of Indonesian wildfires choked Singapore and Malaysia. South China Sea tensions also persist as the bloc negotiates a code of conduct with China amid confrontations.
US-China rivalry could be prominent on the sidelines, as the White House has said President Donald Trump will hold a special summit with ASEAN on November 17 and meet Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
