ASEAN Now Seen as More Reliable Than US in Southeast Asia
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- ASEAN overtook the United States as the most trusted actor to uphold the rules-based order, with 31.3% of respondents in a regional survey identifying it as the leading contributor to addressing key challenges.
- ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute released the 2025 State of Southeast Asia survey on Apr 7, showing a historic shift in regional confidence toward ASEAN and away from the US on governance norms.
- Singapore was recognized by 31.3% of respondents as the top contributor to tackling regional challenges, followed by Indonesia at 22.2% and Malaysia at 21.3%, with respondents selecting countries other than their own.
- Regional challenges cited in the survey include climate change and intensifying economic tensions between major powers, shaping perceptions of institutional reliability.
Why it matters: This shift marks a material change in regional alignment: ASEAN gains diplomatic leverage as the preferred institutional partner, while the US loses soft power influence in Southeast Asia. The 31.3% confidence margin for Singapore alone exceeds that of the next two nations combined, signaling concentrated trust in specific ASEAN leaders.
