THE 2025 tariff shockwaves present Asean with its gravest unity test since the 1997 financial crisis; and its greatest underlying opportunity.
In the face of President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs and management of global affairs, major rifts in Asean’s regional solidarity had emerged. Despite the bloc’s enshrined consensus-driven approach, its members had individually raced to secure bilateral arrangements, a worrying outcome for Asean’s collective cohesion. Unity must now be restored against the pull of individual survival instincts.
