As geopolitical competition, technological disruption and climate risks intensify, ASEAN faces growing pressure to adapt while preserving its core strengths.
On any given morning in Southeast Asia today, seemingly ordinary scenes reveal much about the era we are living in.
A young person in Hanoi orders food through a regional technology platform. A farmer in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta checks salinity intrusion forecasts on a smartphone before deciding when to plant crops. A small business in Bangkok sells handmade products to customers in Singapore through an e-commerce marketplace. A traveler from Jakarta arrives in Hoi An not merely seeking a destination, but a cultural experience, a lasting memory and a deeper connection to Southeast Asia itself.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and leaders from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Timor-Leste attend the opening session of the ASEAN Future Forum. Photo: Pham Hai.
These are everyday stories, yet within them we can see a world changing day by day.
That is why the message delivered by General Secretary and President To Lam during his meeting with heads of delegations attending the ASEAN Future Forum 2026 in Hanoi - “The world is changing, and the region must think differently” - is more than an observation about international affairs. It is a profound reminder of our shared responsibility toward the future of the region.
Old advantages are no longer enough for a new world
Southeast Asia stands at a major crossroads.
Never before has the region enjoyed so many opportunities. ASEAN possesses a young population, a vast market, a strategic geographic location, rich cultural diversity, growing integration capacity and increasing attractiveness for global investment, trade, technology and supply-chain shifts.
Its vibrant cities, rising economies, creative young communities and distinctive cultural heritage are helping shape a dynamic and energetic Southeast Asia.
Yet never before has the region faced such a complex convergence of challenges.
Strategic competition among major powers is intensifying. Climate change is no longer a distant warning but a reality visible in increasingly unpredictable storms, prolonged droughts and coastlines threatened by rising seas.
Artificial intelligence, big data and emerging technologies offer enormous opportunities, but they also raise difficult questions about employment, ethics, privacy, cybersecurity and inequality.
Disinformation, information manipulation and declining public trust can undermine social cohesion far more quickly than many expect.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung joins fellow leaders and the ASEAN Secretary-General at the ASEAN Future Forum 2026. Photo: Pham Hai.
In such a context, traditional advantages alone are no longer sufficient.
A large population is an asset, but without the right skills, a youthful population can become a challenge. Natural resources are valuable, but unsustainable exploitation can burden future generations. Strategic geography is beneficial, but without infrastructure connectivity, logistics capabilities and a stable cooperative environment, that advantage cannot easily be converted into strength.
Culture is an invaluable asset, but without creativity, storytelling, branding and integration into cultural industries, it risks remaining dormant in collective memory.
This is why ASEAN must think differently.
Thinking differently does not mean abandoning the values that have defined ASEAN. On the contrary, in an increasingly uncertain world, ASEAN must hold firmly to its most valuable principles: unity, dialogue, consensus, respect for diversity, unity in diversity and centrality within the regional architecture.
These are strategic assets accumulated over nearly six decades.
Without them, Southeast Asia would not have enjoyed the peace, stability and cooperation it experiences today.
Yet preserving values does not mean standing still.
Unity must become coordination capacity. Consensus must become action. Centrality must be demonstrated through the ability to shape agendas, connect partners, address shared challenges and deliver concrete results.
ASEAN’s future will be measured by people’s lives The ASEAN of the future cannot be measured merely by the number of summits, declarations or action plans it produces.
It must be measured by the extent to which those commitments improve daily life.
Do people have more opportunities? Are businesses operating more easily? Are young people better prepared for future labor markets? Are vulnerable communities more protected from disasters, pandemics, economic shocks and technological risks?
This is where ASEAN must shift from a process-oriented mindset to a results-oriented one, from consultation alone to meaningful coordination, and from consensus in principle to consensus in action.
In an era when moving slowly can mean missing opportunities, delays may cost more than a single project or initiative. They can erode the competitiveness of an entire region.
Technology revolutions do not wait for hesitation. Investment flows can move elsewhere if connectivity remains insufficient. A generation of young people can be left behind if education systems, skills development and institutions fail to adapt quickly enough.
Still, there are strong reasons for optimism.
ASEAN is rich in vitality.
That vitality comes from hundreds of millions of people who learn, innovate, build businesses, work and dream every day.
It comes from cities embracing change, rural communities connecting to digital markets, young people confidently engaging with the world and cultural traditions being reimagined through film, music, tourism, cuisine, design, gaming and creative content.
It also stems from ASEAN’s unique ability to remain diverse without becoming divided, different without losing common purpose, flexible yet resilient, cautious yet open.
Culture and trust as strategic resources
The Prime Minister said ASEAN’s greatest value in the decades ahead will be its ability to remain united and resilient. Photo: Pham Hai.
In the 21st century, culture can become one of ASEAN’s most important sources of confidence.
ASEAN culture is not limited to festivals, dances, cuisine, temples, churches, heritage sites or languages.
It is also reflected in the way societies coexist amid differences, engage in dialogue despite disagreements, pursue peace amid competition and place people at the center of development.
This is Southeast Asia’s distinctive form of soft power.
The region does not seek to project power through dominance. It seeks to build trust.
And trust, in today’s world, is itself a development resource.
Without trust, cooperation becomes fragile. Data cannot be shared effectively. Supply chains cannot remain resilient. Green transitions cannot be coordinated. Regional initiatives struggle to achieve meaningful impact.
Without trust, citizens may never feel that ASEAN is relevant to their daily lives.
Building ASEAN’s future therefore requires more than infrastructure, markets and institutions. It also requires building social trust, strategic trust and trust among nations.
Vietnam’s role in ASEAN’s future
Vietnam occupies a respected position in this journey.
Since joining ASEAN in 1995, Vietnam has grown alongside the region and contributed actively to peace, stability, unity and cooperation.
Today, contributing to ASEAN means more than participating in regional mechanisms. It also means strengthening Vietnam itself.
That requires renewing development models, improving governance, unlocking resources, expanding strategic and digital infrastructure, developing high-quality human resources and creating a more supportive environment for citizens, businesses and local communities.
A more dynamic, innovative and sustainable Vietnam is itself a meaningful contribution to a stronger and more resilient ASEAN.
This is also the essence of integration.
Integration does not begin abroad. It begins at home.
When localities perform better, businesses become more competitive, citizens gain greater opportunities and institutions operate more effectively, the nation becomes stronger.
When every member state grows stronger in a spirit of cooperation, ASEAN grows stronger as well.
ASEAN’s future is therefore not an abstract concept.
It begins with practical achievements: better transportation links, stronger protection for the Mekong River, digital skills training for young people, responsible AI governance frameworks, faster disaster response networks, cross-border clean energy projects, cultural products reaching global audiences and better employment opportunities for future generations.
If ASEAN can transform these concrete goals into collective action, it will not only possess a vision for 2045 but also a credible path toward achieving it.
If it can transform unity into implementation capacity, consensus into outcomes, diversity into creativity and culture into a driver of development, Southeast Asia can become a more dynamic, resilient and trusted region in the emerging global order.
The changing world does not bring only challenges.
It also offers an invitation.
An invitation for ASEAN to move beyond familiar approaches.
An invitation for Southeast Asian nations to think beyond electoral cycles, beyond borders and beyond short-term interests.
An invitation to place people - especially young people - at the center of every development strategy.
Because ultimately, ASEAN’s future is not somewhere far away.
It is reflected in the eyes of young people learning to master new technologies, in the hands of workers adapting to evolving labor markets, in the rivers, forests, coastlines and farmlands that require protection, and in every creative product carrying Southeast Asian identity onto the world stage.
It lives in the simple aspirations shared by millions of people: to live in peace, to prosper in security, to take pride in their identity and to move confidently into the future together.
An ASEAN built on those foundations will not fear a changing world.
It will evolve on its own terms - preserving its identity, remaining people-centered, safeguarding unity, while becoming more decisive in action, more innovative in development and more humane in its choices.
That is the path toward a new horizon built on confidence, resilience and responsibility.
Bui Hoai Son (Member of the Hanoi's National Assembly delegation)
Vietnamnet.vn
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