Southeast Asia is home to 11 countries and nearly 700 million people. It is a region rich in culture, language, and politics, and also one that plays a key role in the global economy.
With tensions growing between China and the United States, Southeast Asia is stuck in the middle. Can it find a way to stay united?
What is ASEAN?
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was created in 1967 to help countries in Southeast Asia work together. The member states are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor Leste.
ASEAN’s decision-making style, known as the "ASEAN Way," is based on discussion and consensus. The member countries try not to intervene with each other's internal affairs but work together to find solutions to regional problems.
This approach has helped prevent major conflicts, but critics say it also makes the group too slow to act when facing
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