FACTBOX: Southeast Asian bloc faces challenges from Myanmar to South China Sea

The 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose foreign ministers met in the Philippines this week, faces a complex regional agenda, including:

MYANMAR

Myanmar's long‑running conflict remains one of ASEAN's most difficult and divisive issues. It recently completed elections, which are expected to hand a landslide victory to a military-backed party, but ASEAN as a bloc has not endorsed the vote.

While Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro noted that some member states view the elections as "something positive," she emphasised this was not an expression of support, merely an acknowledgement that some governments see opportunities emerging.

ASEAN has barred Myanmar's military rulers since 2022 and did not as a bloc endorse the election, which the opposition did not participate in.

Lazaro stressed that ASEAN’s engagement with Myanmar continues to be anchored in the 2021 five-point peace plan agreed with the junta leader after a coup.

SOUTH CHINA SEA CODE OF CONDUCT

Negotiations on an ASEAN‑China Code of Conduct in the South China Sea have dragged on for over two decades, but the Philippines, as 2026 chair, is pushing to inject momentum.

China's extensive maritime claims overlap with the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, making a functional code essential to preventing escalation and managing incidents at sea.

Lazaro said ASEAN ministers "welcome the positive momentum" in negotiations and that the Philippines will endeavour to speed them up and conclude the code this year.

She emphasised the code must be based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and must be legally binding to effectively address disputes.

THAILAND–CAMBODIA BORDER DISPUTE

The long-running border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia remains a sensitive issue for ASEAN.

The previous chair of ASEAN, Malaysia, oversaw several rounds of ceasefire negotiations after renewed fighting along the border last year, when clashes, airstrikes and landmine blasts caused scores of casualties and mass displacement.

Lazaro said the current ceasefire is fragile but holding, and ASEAN is relieved that skirmishes have not escalated.

As chair, the Philippines will serve as coordinator for the ASEAN Observer Team, tasked with monitoring the ceasefire.

-Karen Lema/Reuters