ASEAN Must Strengthen Economic Integration, Act Collectively Amid Global Disruption

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 (Bernama) -- ASEAN must urgently strengthen regional economic integration and collective resilience amid intensifying global disruptions, including the United States (US)-China trade war, climate change, and rapid technological shifts, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

He said superpower competition and the resulting shifts in the global order have the potential to disrupt the regional landscape as ASEAN nations are among those most heavily affected by the US-imposed tariffs.

Mohamad emphasised the need for the bloc to approach the issue as a collective and take on an active role in weathering the turbulence of coming years.

“We must seize this moment to deepen regional economic integration so that we can better shield our region from external shocks.

“As we advance our community-building efforts, we must confront the reality, that reducing the income disparities within ASEAN must be viewed as a priority,” he said during the opening remarks at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) today.

The closed-door meeting, held ahead of the 46th ASEAN Summit which will convene tomorrow, was chaired by Mohamad and attended by Foreign Ministers of all ASEAN member states except Myanmar.

Also present was ASEAN Secretary General Dr Kao Kim Hourn and Timor-Leste Foreign Minister Bendito Freitas who participated as observer.

On top of the disruptions caused by the US-China trade war, Mohamad said, the region is also grappling with the accelerating impacts of climate change and technological disruption. 

“Around the world, temperatures and sea levels are rising, and artificial intelligence is evolving faster than any government is responding. These issues are expected to hit Southeast Asia particularly hard,” he said.

Aside from increasing the volume of trade within the region, Mohamad called on ASEAN member states to continue enhancing the mechanisms that facilitate intra-ASEAN trade.

He said that diversifying partnerships will also empower the grouping to handle future shocks caused by external economic factors. 

“We must respond to the potential fallout from global trade disruptions together with cohesion, solidarity, and strategic autonomy as one ASEAN community.

“This collective effort will enable ASEAN to weather challenges, minimise impact on our people, and continue to grow sustainably with a future-proof mindset,” he said.

Mohamad also stressed that ASEAN Centrality must continue to guide the region as it engages with the wider world and navigates complex international dynamics. 

He said in an increasingly polarised world, ASEAN must promote a model grounded in dialogue, cooperation, and multilateralism.

“We must remain the driver of our regional architecture. Only ASEAN speaks for Southeast Asia. For ASEAN, unity is now more important than ever,” he added.

The 46th ASEAN Summit and its related meetings, which are being held under Malaysia’s 2025 chairmanship themed ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’, are expected to address a wide range of pressing regional and international issues, with the ongoing crisis in Myanmar remaining a key point of concern for ASEAN member states.

This year marks Malaysia’s fifth time chairing the regional bloc, having previously held the ASEAN chairmanship in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015.

In addition to the ASEAN-level meetings, two important inter-regional summits -- the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit -- will also take place on May 26 and 27, signalling the growing engagement between Southeast Asia and its strategic partners in the Gulf and China.

-- BERNAMA