Anchored by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Southeast Asia is one of the most dynamic and diverse regions in Asia. It includes Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Over the past 50 years, Southeast Asian nations have managed to overcome instability and conflict to build a successful multilateral forum that promotes regional cooperation and consensus-building among a highly distinct and internally diverse group of countries.

ASPI’s work on Southeast Asia focuses on policy dialogues and solution-oriented projects and recommendations reports, as well as sharing insights about and perspectives from the region through public events and expert commentary. ASPI conducts projects that aim to enhance the security, prosperity, and sustainability of the region, as well as advance Southeast Asia’s relations with the United States and the rest of the Asia-Pacific. For instance, ASPI’s U.S.-Myanmar Track II dialogue helped inform policymakers in both countries at a time that Myanmar’s government was inching toward reform and opening up to the international community.