ASEAN Explained: Southeast Asia’s Quiet Geopolitical Power
Founded during the Cold War, ASEAN has evolved from a small anti-communist regional grouping into a powerful diplomatic and economic organization representing more than 680 million people. Today, ASEAN sits at the center of some of the world’s most important geopolitical tensions, including the rivalry between the United States and China, disputes in the South China Sea, global supply chain competition, and the future of the Indo-Pacific.