ASEAN leaders took center stage at the Shangri-La Dialogue this weekend, declaring their refusal to be pawns in the US-China geopolitical chessboard. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, set to chair ASEAN in 2025, kicked off the resistance with a 🔥 ‘we won’t choose sides’ declaration during his keynote speech.
Singapore’s Defense Minister Chan Chun Sing doubled down on Sunday, urging Southeast Asia to engage with all global powers instead of picking favorites. ‘If we have to choose, let’s choose principles – not jungle law where the strong bully the weak,’ he said, throwing shade 🌴 at rising military tensions.
The statements came after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed Asia-Pacific nations to boost military spending to 5% of GDP, framing it as a counter to China’s influence. But Tsinghua University’s Da Wei called the move a flop: ‘The US strategy to split China and ASEAN lacks credibility. It’s like trying to start a group chat nobody joins.’ 📵
With ASEAN home to over 650 million people and a $3.6 trillion economy, their neutral stance could reshape how superpower rivalries play out in the region. Stay tuned – this geopolitical drama is just getting started. 🎬
