LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia– Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are both united and divided over contentious geopolitical issues.

For Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., it’s time for members to take decisive and responsive action.

“The ASEAN of today must be better than the ASEAN of yesterday. For ASEAN to succeed, ASEAN must be the master of its future,” Marcos said during his intervention at the ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with the High-Level Task Force on the ASEAN Community’s post-2025 vision.

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The said task force ensures that the region would be highly integrated, cohesive, competitive, and dynamic.

Heads of state in the region are convening at the 42nd ASEAN Summit, where they discuss contentious matters, including tensions in the South China Sea and the impact on the region of the rivalry between the United States and China. Various Southeast Asian nations have contradicting positions on and interests in these issues. In turn, these issues and interests adversely impact and threaten the region’s economic growth.

“Today, ASEAN faces a complex geopolitical environment, which includes rivalries amongst great powers, climate change, and technological disruptions, amongst others. ASEAN itself is not immune to its own challenges, as we continue to navigate our differences in the region towards a general consensus of action,”  Marcos said.

Marcos added ASEAN must show the world that “we are able to respond effectively to geopolitical and geo economic challenges as a cohesive [force].” – Rappler.com