Authors: EAF editors
Published by: EAST ASIA FORUM
Date: 30 June 2025
The 2025 ISEAS State of Southeast Asia report shows that ASEAN elites are deeply concerned about geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, with the European Union now overtaking the former to become the region's second most trusted partner after Japan. Despite differing models of regional cooperation, deeper engagement between the EU and ASEAN has great potential due to their shared interests in trade and international value chains. To achieve long-term prosperity, Southeast Asia must preserve open markets, pursue domestic reforms to strengthen competitiveness and leverage relationships with the EU and other partners to defend rules-based trade.
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