Asean not decoupling, it is rewiring

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.