The ASEAN Bloc Faces New Challenges and Opportunities

In discussing peace, international integration, and development in Southeast Asia, observers often acknowledge “ASEAN matters”. However, they rarely explain in which ways ASEAN already has mattered. This reflects a lack of understanding of the connection between the past and the present – of how ASEAN has continuously struggled with the fact that Southeast Asia, due to its geostrategic location, always has and always will be caught in the rivalries between major global powers. For as long as these powers’ regional interests diverge, ASEAN must remain faithful to its principles and seize opportunities as they present themselves.

Author Le Luong Minh served as Vietnam’s Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as Secretary-General of ASEAN. This article is based on his essay “Strategic Changes in the Region: Challenges and Opportunities for ASEAN and Its Approach”. It was written as a contribution to the international conference “ASEAN in a Changing World” hosted by the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Hanoi Office and the Vietnam Peace and Development Foundation in November 2024.