ASEAN risks losing relevance as smaller groupings grow, Kao warns
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn warned in Jakarta on Sept 14 that the grouping risks being sidelined as countries turn to smaller security partnerships across the Indo-Pacific. Speaking at the third ASEAN Think Tanks Summit, he said ASEAN must make better use of existing forums such as the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum. The issue gains weight as Singapore takes over the ASEAN chair in 2027, the grouping's 60th anniversary.