Myanmar
ASEAN foreign ministers condemned Myanmar junta airstrikes that killed 180 civilians, threatening to suspend Myanmar's participation in an unprecedented hardening of the bloc's stance.
Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste formally joined ASEAN as its 11th member after a 15-year admission process, gaining access to the bloc's trade agreements and 700-million-person market.
South China Sea
South China Sea Code of Conduct negotiations hit an impasse as China rejected ASEAN's proposal for binding enforcement, extending a deadlock now in its ninth year.
ASEAN
ASEAN and India finalized an upgraded free trade agreement cutting tariffs on 90% of goods, with simplified rules of origin expected to triple FTA utilization rates.
Myanmar
Myanmar's resistance forces captured Lashio, the junta's Northeastern Regional Command headquarters, disrupting the primary overland trade route between Myanmar and China.
ASEAN
ASEAN leaders signed a landmark digital economy framework in Kuala Lumpur, establishing common standards for cross-border data flows and digital payments across Southeast Asia.