ASEAN in 2025 is navigating a convergence of geopolitical rivalry, shifting trade dynamics, and accelerating energy transition, while integrating new members and responding to internal crises.

ASEAN stands at a pivotal moment as global interest in central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) accelerates, with most central banks worldwide now conducting experiments or pilots.

ASEAN’s long-standing rotational chairmanship — recently passed from Malaysia to the Philippines — remains central to the bloc’s unity, equitable leadership, and consensus-driven “ASEAN Way.”

As the 47th ASEAN Summit convenes, the region finds itself navigating through global uncertainty— yet the bloc remains remarkably steady.

Southeast Asia is charging ahead in 2025, with the region’s economy powering up on the back of a pre-tariff surge in trade and production. According to McKinsey’s latest Southeast Asia Quarterly Economic Review, Vietnam led the pack with nearly 8 % year-on-year growth—the country’s fastest pace in more than a decade—while other major markets saw solid gains driven by strong exports, industrial output, and resilient consumer spending.