Southeast Asia
The United States has had a strong and long-standing interest in the stability, prosperity and security of Southeast Asia. The ten countries of the region comprise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a diverse but increasingly economically integrated and globalized regional grouping with a population of over 575 million, a combined GDP of about $1.28 trillion, and two-way trade with the United States totaling $161 billion. The Southeast Asia Program has hosted roundtables and workshops assessing political developments in Indonesia, development trends in the Mekong Basin, an update on US-ASEAN relations, the political situation in Thailand, regional integration and the restoration of Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Vietnam. READ MORE »
Current Research
Economic Integration & the Development-Environment Dilemma in the GMS » Uncoordinated, uncooperative and unsustainable infrastructure development in the Greater Mekong Subregion threatens environmental and human security. Efforts towards fulfilling the principles of cooperative, environmentally sustainable and equitable development in the GMS must be strengthened. READ MORE »
ASEAN's Role in East Asian Economic Integration »
The global trend of regional cooperation and integration as embodied in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN.) Focus on economic, political and security cooperation amongst its ten members and the roles of other regional powers such as China and Japan.
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U.S.-ASEAN Relations »
The United States has historically been an impetus for economic and political development in Southeast Asia. Chinese growth and U.S. preoccupation with the Middle East have altered the regional dynamics, though American economic and political engagement remains a powerful stabilizing force.
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