A region that determines its own future

MANILA, Philippines — The shared interests between the United States and the nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are deeper today than at any point in our nations’ histories. For decades, American capital, companies and expertise have powered the region’s extraordinary economic rise. As a result, the United States now stands among Southeast Asia’s top sources of foreign direct investment and trade – and US commercial activity in the region supported some 625,000 American jobs.

This prosperity has been underwritten by the order and stability guaranteed by American military power. The United States has long recognized that a secure, sovereign Southeast Asia advances the interests of both our nation and the ASEAN powers. As we approach the 50th anniversary of US-ASEAN relations in 2027, America’s interest in a prosperous and secure Southeast Asia is stronger – and the opportunities are greater – than ever before.

For decades, ASEAN has kept its 11 member-states largely free of major conflict, backed by indispensable US support. American commitment to freedom of navigation in Southeast Asia is driven by our recognition that the sea lanes that run through the region are the arteries of the modern world, carrying energy, food, manufactured goods and the raw materials of 21st century industry.

That freedom is by no means guaranteed. If those waters fall under the control of a power willing to use commerce as a geopolitical weapon, both the United States and the ASEAN states would face dire new threats to their sovereignty, security and economic futures.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling on the South China Sea, which is final and binding. In the face of common challenges, our allies must play an active role in deterring conflict and protecting their sovereign interests in the region. And America is stepping up as well. For example, we are providing $100 million to support the Philippines’ ability to defend itself and resist coercion aimed at forcing the region into submission. The United States will continue to stand for lawful maritime rights and freedom of navigation in the region. And we will honor our obligations to the Philippines and other allies as they confront new and coercive threats to our shared interests.

Fair and reciprocal economic growth together

The first duty of any government is to its own people. The United States has an obligation to protect its own workers and industries, and we will not accept a trading relationship defined by imbalance. But we also recognize the extraordinary economic potential for the United States in ASEAN’s rapid growth. Under President Trump’s policies, the American people stand to benefit from a strong and sovereign Southeast Asia – one whose strength is built on a fair, reciprocal and mutually beneficial partnership with the United States.

ASEAN’s digital economy already serves more than 400 million internet users and is projected to reach $2 trillion by 2030, which would help propel the bloc toward becoming the world’s fourth-largest economy. The conclusion of negotiations and expected signing of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement – the world’s first region-wide, legally binding digital trade agreement – reflects the American private and public sectors’ determination to align the region’s digital rules with our shared interests and open the door wider for US companies operating in the region. Southeast Asia will be a central focus of President Trump’s American AI Exports Program, which will accelerate the region’s digital transformation by exporting fullstack US AI packages to partner-countries.

We see similar opportunities in enhancing energy security and supply chain resilience. As Southeast Asia works to diversify its energy sources and build out the ASEAN Power Grid, American LNG exports and technical expertise – including on next-generation nuclear technology – offer reliable, affordable alternatives to other investments that come with strings attached and undermine ASEAN nations’ sovereignty. The United States is prepared to leverage foreign assistance and other government financing tools flexibly, focusing on results-driven projects that deny strategic competitors’ ground while expanding American commercial opportunity.

The US International Development Finance Corporation is investing $1.5 billion to establish an investment platform that will expand energy infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific. And in the Philippines, the State Department is working with Congress to invest over $100 million to support infrastructure that will accelerate commercial opportunities and growth in the Luzon Economic Corridor. Together, these initiatives represent over $2.5 billion in investments that strengthen the economic growth and security of both the United States and ASEAN alike.

The next 50 years

Nearly 50 years into our relationship with ASEAN, we are more committed than ever to a partnership grounded in sovereignty and shared prosperity. Together, we will keep the sea lanes that sustain global commerce free and open. We will unlock new opportunities for workers and businesses across both the United States and Southeast Asia. And we will ensure the region remains free to determine its own future. That is a future worth building together – for the United States, for ASEAN and for generations to come.