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Asean’s window of opportunity in a fractured world
Ambitious as it may be, Asean members must not give up on striving to be a single market and production base.
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It is as a hub for global investments that Asean has been most impressive, says the writer.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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Last week, at an opinion leaders’ conference in Kuala Lumpur hosted by Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, I repeatedly heard the use of a once-familiar phrase that had somehow evaded Asean summit statements in recent years: the grouping’s ambition to turn into “a single market and production base”.
For the 10-member group, 2025 is a must-seize year if it is to fulfil its promise as the go-to region for investments in manufacturing and services, and a worthy trade and tourism partner.
