The Next Step for ASEAN in a World Where the Global Balance of Power has been Turned Upside Down

In this article, Vijay Eswaran examines ASEAN’s next strategic test as shifting global power dynamics and renewed trade tensions reshape the international landscape. He highlights how disunity and short-term, survival-driven responses risk weakening the region’s collective influence, and argues that deeper cooperation, financial resilience, and coordinated diplomacy are now essential for ASEAN to protect its interests and shape its future.