LET us be clear. Asean is not failing. It is debugging. The region has moved past slogans and ceremonial communiqués. In 2025, Asean proved that it can land difficult, rule-heavy reforms – not just issue joint statements.
The upgrade of the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement (Atiga), the completion of the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement 3.0 (ACFTA 3.0), and the near-finalisation of the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (Defa) are not cosmetic exercises.
