With 650 Million People, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has the 3rd Largest Population in the World and a GDP of $2.8 Trillion
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a 10-member regional bloc with a combined GDP of $2.8 trillion, a population of 650 million, and a land mass covering more than 1.7 million square miles (larger than the land area of India). Founded in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, ASEAN has since expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. ASEAN’s community-building effort comprises three pillars: the Political-Security Community; Economic Community; and Socio-Cultural Community. ASEAN holds semiannual ASEAN Summits and numerous ministerial and working-level meetings in support of its community-building objectives. ASEAN seeks to promote economic growth and regional stability among its members through consultation, consensus, and cooperation based on the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) to which 35 countries and the European Union (EU) have acceded. By combining their efforts and influence, ASEAN member states have been able to help shape Indo-Pacific economic, political, and security trends and discussions by convening key Indo-Pacific countries to discuss political and security issues at an annual East Asia Summit (EAS) and other fora.
