What is ASEAN and why does the bloc matter?

Next week, major powers will join a summit of Southeast Asian nations hosted by the Philippines. But what is ASEAN and why does the bloc matter? The Association of Southeast Asian Nations was founded in 1967. Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand signed the Bangkok Declaration, setting goals for cooperation and regional peace and stability. Unlike the European Union, ASEAN has no central authority that can impose decisions on its members. Today, ASEAN has grown to 11 nations, including Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste. It accounts for 8.4% of the world's population, and its $4.3 trillion combined output would rank as the world's fifth-largest economy if considered a single unit. ASEAN helped build a regional order based on dialogue among countries with a history of conflict. Its forums bring China, the United States, Russia, Japan, and India to the same table. It has built free trade networks and weathered economic crises. However, political and security crises have proved harder to resolve. Conflict in Myanmar, tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, and disputes in the South China Sea continue to test ASEAN. Symbolic things. ASEAN centrality is the idea that member states should act together to remain at the center of institutions shaping the region. By hosting forums involving major powers, ASEAN allows smaller nations to project a stronger collective voice. On the agenda for the Manila summit are issues including energy security, artificial intelligence, and transboundary pollution. Concerns over Myanmar, Thai-Cambodia tension, and South China Sea disputes are also expected to be discussed. U.S.-China rivalry could loom large, with President Donald Trump set to hold a special and meet Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.