Asean's misunderstood 'Retreat Diplomacy'

As Malaysia concluded the first month of its Asean chairmanship in January 2025, there is a tendency by some commentators to measure its potential and pulse on the basis of one-off events, one of which is the Asean Foreign Ministers Retreat in Langkawi.

While some scholars' negative commentary of all that manifested from the “Retreat Diplomacy”, – where foreign ministers are occasionally encouraged to meet face-to-face to build up their camaraderie – not necessarily backed by the presence of a large team of translators and sides, can be harsh, the same cynical scholars of Asean have missed the larger picture of what Asean is all about to begin with.