As distinctions blur between economic and security agendas, and Big Tech gets involved in geopolitics, a strategy of avoidance becomes unsustainable. Asean should realise the long game of international affairs is about setting rules and standards, not just the movement of goods, services and data.

Landmark UN AI resolution linked to sustainable development goals should be a wake-up call for Southeast Asia to consider the true costs of adopting AI at breakneck speed.

The foundational role of data in AI systems not only raises questions about consent, but is reminiscent of the colonial information gathering. Framing AI discussions through a predominantly business-focused lens diminishes the wider context in which AI operates and may not provide meaningful guarantees of social equity.

For years, Southeast Asian governments have been the target of advanced cyberattacks. As Asean and Chinese officials discuss the code of conduct on the South China Sea, they should include the cyber dimension in negotiations on expected standards of behaviour.

Joe Biden’s no-show at next month’s Asean Summit is a calculated decision taken in US interests. Instead of feeling slighted, the bloc should redouble its efforts to strengthen intraregional integration and seize emerging opportunities for strategic cooperation.

A cycle of reciprocal aggression between the world’s two largest and most influential powers cannot be the formula for stable or orderly coexistence. As a relatively neutral set of actors, Asean states should go beyond acting as mediators between the major powers and jointly identify possible solutions.