ASEAN

While there was plenty of pomp for US President Donald Trump and leaders at the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting, exports will take a hit from American tariffs

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Southeast Asian nations to stand firm and strengthen their maritime forces to counter China's increasingly destabilising actions in the South China Sea. Speaking at a meeting in Malaysia with his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Hegseth reiterated US concern over what he called China's aggression in the disputed waters that intensified in recent months, citing incidents such as the ramming of vessels and the use of water cannons. The South China Sea remains one of Asia's most volatile flashpoints. Beijing claims almost the entire region, while ASEAN members, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also claim ownership of coastal areas and features. The Philippines, a key US ally, has had frequent clashes with China's maritime fleet. Manila has repeatedly urged a stronger regional response, but ASEAN has traditionally sought to balance caution with economic ties to Beijing, the region's largest ...

On the sidelines of the Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting, Rajnath Singh and Pete Hegseth held talks to boost defence collaboration and strengthen strategic partnership between India and the US

China signed an expanded version of a free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as both face increased protectionism from the United States, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasised his country's close ties with the region. Unity is strength, Li Qiang told an ASEAN-China summit meeting after the signing, stressing that closer cooperation could help overcome global economic uncertainties. The signing of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 came on the final day of the annual ASEAN summit and related meetings and was witnessed by Li Qiang and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is serving as ASEAN chair this year. It's the third revision of the long-standing agreement, which was first signed in 2002 and came into force in 2010. The free trade area covers a combined market of more than 2 billion people and lowers tariffs on goods and boosting flows of services and investment. Two-way trade has surged from USD 235.5 billion in 2010 to nearly USD 1 trill

"We must fully safeguard the hard-earned peace and stability in East Asia," Li said at a meeting of ASEAN, Japan, China and South Korea

S Jaishankar and Marco Rubio met as India and the US continue talks on a trade pact; five rounds of negotiations are done, and officials say the agreement is now close to being finalised

The Asean Summit also provided a platform for Trump to connect with Japan's newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi

Also known as Timor-Leste, the country of 1.4 million people is among Asia's poorest and hopes to see gains from integrating its fledgling economy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks swift review of the ASEAN-India FTA to strengthen economic and maritime partnerships and boost cooperation in technology and energy

The telephone call between the two leaders was held on October 25 while attending Asean-related Summit meetings in Kuala Lumpur

Trump's return to Asia could redefine regional trade and diplomacy. From Asean trade and digital economy talks to US-China negotiations

FMCG major Hindustan Unilever reported a 4% Y-o-Y rise in consolidated net profit for Q2FY26, with flat underlying volume growth. Meanwhile, Colgate-Palmolive (India) saw its net profit drop 17%

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi unlikely to travel to Malaysia for the ASEAN summit, the Congress on Thursday claimed that the reason for his not going was that the PM doesn't want to be cornered by US President Donald Trump. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said posting messages in praise of President Trump on social media is one thing, but to be seen hobnobbing physically with the man who has claimed 53 times that he stopped Operation Sindoor and has claimed five times that India has promised to stop buying oil from Russia is far too risky for him. "For days the speculation has been - will He or won't He? Will Mr. Modi go to Kuala Lumpur for the Summit or not?" Ramesh said on X. "Now it appears certain that the PM will not go. It means the loss of so many opportunities to hug and get photo ops with world leaders or to flaunt himself as the self-styled Vishwaguru," the Congress leader said. "The reason why Mr. Modi is not going is simple. He jus

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to travel to Malaysia to participate in the meetings related to the ASEAN summit beginning Sunday due to scheduling issues, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. It is learnt that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the meetings. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit will be held in Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28. There is no official word on India's level of participation at the deliberations related to the summit. The people cited above said India is learnt to have conveyed to Malaysia that Jaishankar will represent India at the ASEAN meetings. There is a possibility of PM Modi's participation through virtual mode at the ASEAN-India summit. The prime minister has led the Indian delegations at the ASEAN-India summit and the East Asia Summit in the last few years. Malaysia has invited US President Donald Trump as well as leaders of several countries which are the dialogue par

The 40 per cent trans-shipment tariff by the US will create major compliance issues for companies in India and the ASEAN region, with high risks for sectors like machinery, electrical equipment and semiconductors, Moody's Ratings said on Tuesday. In July 31, US President Donald Trump announced a 40 per cent tariff on goods deemed to have been transshipped, beyond the broader country-level tariffs. Moody's, in its 'Trade Asia-Pacific' report, said it remains unclear how the Trump administration defines trans-shipment, but the measures appear to target products originating in China and shipping through third countries with lower tariffs. Stating that lack of clarity around trans-shipment tariff poses risks to ASEAN economies, Moody's said if the US maintains a narrow interpretation targeting only goods imported from China, minimally processed or re-labelled and re-exported to the US the economic impact on regional economies may be limited. However, a broader and more punitive ...

There have been half-hearted efforts to remake South Asia in the image of the European Union or at least the Asean, but now they seem to have been given up entirely

Describing India and China as "drivers of Asia's growth", a senior Singaporean minister on Monday said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gain when New Delhi and Beijing engage. "ASEAN is a platform where both giants (India and China) can connect with the wider region, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan said at a forum here on the recent China-India initiative to re-connect. Alongside ASEAN, they are drivers of Asia's growth," he asserted. ASEAN a regional organisation set up to promote economic growth, social progress, and regional peace and stability. The 10-member bloc comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Tan noted that ASEAN offers a thriving market, stability and opportunity for trade and cooperation. He was speaking at the forum titled 'China and India: Fostering Growth, Investment and Trade Amid Global Uncertainty', organised by the East Asian Institute and the ...

India's Act East policy needs fresh momentum through deeper economic integration with Asean

The next round of review talks for the India-Asean free trade agreement in goods will be held in October this year in Jakarta, an official statement said on Friday. The tenth round of the negotiations concluded here this month (August 10-14). The Commerce Ministry said the Joint Committee focused on advancing the ongoing review of AITIGA (Asean India trade in goods agreement) to enhance its effectiveness, accessibility, and trade facilitation capabilities. ASEAN remains a key trade partner for India, accounting for around 11 per cent of India's global trade. The bilateral trade reached USD 123 billion in 2024-25, reflecting the strong economic ties between the two sides and creating opportunities for enhanced cooperation in the years ahead, it said. "The next AITIGA Joint Committee meeting is scheduled for 6-7 October 2025 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, and will be hosted by Malaysia," it added. In a separate statement, the ministry said the fourth meeting of the

Akasa Air will launch direct flights connecting Mumbai with Phuket from September 20 as the three-year-old airline expands its international network with the foray into Southeast Asia. With a fleet of 30 planes, the airline currently flies to 23 domestic and 5 international destinations. Starting September 20, 2025, Akasa Air will operate daily direct flights connecting Mumbai with Phuket (Thailand), a release said on Tuesday. Phuket will be 6th overseas destination for the carrier, which started flying on August 7, 2022. Presently, the airline flies to five overseas destinations -- Doha (Qatar), Jeddah, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Abu Dhabi (UAE) and Kuwait City (Kuwait). Last week, the airline said it will start flights to the SAARC and ASEAN regions in the next few years, in addition to leveraging the upcoming Navi Mumbai and Noida International Airports to develop a comprehensive network. Eight countries, including India, are part of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooper