Heightened US-China rivalry, geoeconomic fragmentation, supply chain reconfigurations, and rapid technological change are reshaping the global economic landscape and bringing the concept of economic security to the forefront of policy debates. For Southeast Asia, its long-standing neoliberal approach - premised on openness, deeper economic integration, and rules-based cooperation as foundations for peace and stability - is increasingly being tested.
A key question is whether Southeast Asia’s economic security model remains fit for purpose. Can Southeast Asia continue to rely on openness and regional integration to strengthen economic resilience, while navigating intensifying strategic competition and growing pressures for economic securitisation?
This panel discussion seminar brings together leading scholars and experts to examine whether Southeast Asia - and ASEAN as its regional institution - needs to recalibrate or reconceptualise its approach to economic security in light of evolving geoeconomic and geopolitical pressures.