51茶馆

1.听础厂贰础狈

• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was founded in 1967. 聽ASEAN鈥檚 founding members agreed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in 1976
• ASEAN brings together 10 Member States: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Timor-Leste is working towards accession as聽ASEAN鈥檚 11th Member State
• ASEAN聽has 3 communities covering Political-Security, Economic and Socio-Cultural issues
• ASEAN鈥檚 10 Member States have a combined GDP of $3.8 trillion and annual GDP growth has averaged between 4 and 5% in recent years. As a bloc聽ASEAN聽is already the world鈥檚 5th largest economy and is widely forecast to be the 4th largest by 2030
• in May 2025, ASEAN leaders adopted the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 for a 鈥淩esilient, Innovative, Dynamic, and People-Centred ASEAN鈥�

2.听础厂贰础狈-鲍碍 partnership

• in 2012, the UK acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), a peace treaty between the founding members of聽ASEAN聽which has attracted growing international support
• in November 2019, we opened the UK mission to聽ASEAN聽and welcomed the first UK Ambassador to聽ASEAN. The UK has embassies or high commissions in all 10聽ASEAN聽Member States
• on 5 August 2021, the UK became an聽ASEAN聽Dialogue Partner, the first new Dialogue Partner in 25 years. The UK has since attended ASEAN Ministerial Meetings in 2022 (Cambodia), 2023 (Indonesia), 2024 (Laos) and 2025 (Malaysia)
• in September 2021, the UK attended the first聽ASEAN聽Economic Ministers-UK Consultation, the first Ministerial meeting since becoming a Dialogue Partner. At this meeting, we agreed the聽ASEAN-UK Joint Ministerial Declaration on Future Economic Cooperation.聽ASEAN-UK have since held annual senior official and Ministerial meetings to support progress on economic cooperation
• in August 2022, ministers agreed our first 5-year聽ASEAN-UK Plan of Action outlining an agenda for cooperation across Political and Security, Economic and Socio-Cultural issues
• to support delivery of the Plan of Action, the UK is supporting 5 flagship聽ASEAN-UK development programmes on green transition, economic integration, health security, education for girls and marginalised groups, and women, peace and security
• in November 2023 the Secretary-General of聽ASEAN, HE Dr Kao Kim Hourn, visited the UK 鈥� his first overseas visit outside Asia as Secretary-General
• in July 2024, the 2 sides agreed an ASEAN-UK joint ministerial statement: enhancing connectivity for a prosperous and sustainable future
• in April 2025, the UK attended the fourth UK-ASEAN Senior Officials鈥� Meeting in Vietnam, noting substantial progress made against the Plan of Action
• in July 2025, the Foreign Secretary attended the ASEAN Regional Forum, a 27-member Indo-Pacific wide security dialogue, as Guest of Chair. The UK applied for full membership of the ASEAN Regional Forum in 2023

3.听笔辞濒颈迟颈肠补濒听补苍诲 security cooperation

3.1.听顿别蹿别苍肠别

• the UK engages with聽ASEAN聽Member States across a broad range of defence areas, from capacity building in peacekeeping, military medicine and maritime cooperation to undertaking bilateral and multilateral joint exercises
• since becoming a Dialogue Partner in 2021, the UK has convened regional meetings such as the jointly sponsored Regional Jungle Warfare Symposium in Brunei Darussalam and the Maritime Security Symposium. We have also hosted students from聽ASEAN聽Member States on world-leading professional military education courses in the UK to support capacity building and knowledge sharing across the region
• in 2022 the UK was invited to observe 2 expert working groups of the ASEAN Defence Ministers鈥� Meeting Plus (ADMM+) 鈥� an Indo-Pacific defence forum. This invitation was renewed in 2024, covering the ADMM+ expert working groups on military medicine and maritime security.聽 The UK applied for full membership of the ADMM+ in 2023

3.2.听惭补谤颈迟颈尘别听肠辞辞辫别谤补迟颈辞苍

• the UK has increased maritime cooperation with聽ASEAN聽and its member states with a focus on issues such as Law of the Sea training and illegal marine wildlife trade
• through this activity we aim to build regional resilience in responding to maritime challenges and support implementation of the聽ASEAN聽Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and聽ASEAN聽Maritime Outlook (AMO)
• the UK attended the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum in November 2024 as Guest of Chair
• since 2021, we have deployed 2 Offshore Patrol Vessels (HMS TAMAR and HMS SPEY) to the Indo-Pacific, working with allies and partners throughout the region. The combination of these vessels provides the first UK persistent maritime presence in 25 years
• the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) visited Singapore in June 2025 as part of an 8-month deployment to the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific, reaffirming the UK鈥檚 commitment to security in the Indo-Pacific region and showcasing British defence capabilities

3.3.听罢谤补苍蝉苍补迟颈辞苍补濒 crime

• the UK participated in the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime for the first time in June 2025
• the UK works closely with ASEAN partners to tackle the full range of serious and organised crime threats including, drugs, illicit financial flows, modern slavery, human trafficking, fraud (including scam centres) and child sexual exploitation and abuse
• the UK鈥檚 National Crime Agency deploys liaison officers to the region providing coverage across Southeast Asia and has been a Dialogue Partner of the聽ASEAN聽Chiefs of National Police (ASEANAPOL) network since September 2019

3.4. Women, Peace and Security

• in July 2023, we announced the ASEAN-UK Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Programme worth over 拢3 million at the聽ASEAN聽WPS Summit. The programme has supported the creation of an聽ASEAN聽Regional Action Plan on WPS and its implementation at the national level, delivering direct WPS capacity building activities for over 4,200 stakeholders and building a knowledge library which has been accessed by over 3,500 users since its launch

4. Economic cooperation

4.1. Trade and investment

• total trade in goods and services between the UK and ASEAN Member States was 拢51.8 billion, in the year to end of Q4 2024, with UK exports to the region up by nearly 3% in calendar year 2024
• UK exports to ASEAN Member States in the year to the end of Q4 2024 amounted to 拢26.3 billion. UK imports totalled 拢25.5 billion over the same period
• Trade will be boosted by the UK鈥檚 membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) whose membership includes 4 ASEAN partners (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam)
• the UK鈥檚 Intellectual Property Office supports ASEAN governments, the ASEAN Secretariat and industries to build a rules-based Intellectual Property system
• the British Standards Institution is supporting ASEAN to adopt and implement appropriate international standards and improve National Quality Infrastructure across ASEAN. International standards can create a common language for trading partners and increase access to global markets
• the UK Competition and Markets Authority has held exchanges with the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition on regulation of new areas such as digital markets and sustainability
• ASEAN-UK supply chains cooperation is centred on deepening trade links to support economic resilience and growth
• in April 2024, the UK launched the ASEAN-UK Economic Integration Programme, which will support ASEAN economic integration and drive stronger, more equitable growth through better regulations, improved systems for trade, and wider access to financial services

4.2. Financial services

• financial services accounts for almost 19% of UK services exports to ASEAN, The UK is a leader on financial services innovation, regulation and talent. For example, the UK is home to a thriving fintech ecosystem, with over 10,000 fintech firms and a supportive regulatory environment
• the Bank of England is running a number of virtual workshops on payment systems for ASEAN central banks, hosted by Bank Indonesia

4.3. Infrastructure

• Infrastructure investment will be key to the region鈥檚 green growth. The Asian Development Bank estimates that the region needs to invest $210 billion a year to meet development and climate goals and sustain economic growth
• The UK has expertise across the lifecycle of infrastructure development and is working with ASEAN to share our expertise and bring in UK businesses to support ASEAN projects
• The UK鈥檚 ASEAN Sustainable Leadership in Infrastructure Programme (ASLIP) brings together voices from academia, multilaterals and the private sector to equip ASEAN policy makers with the tools, models and experience needed to plan, procure and deliver sustainable and resilient infrastructure for all
• UK financial support through investment partnerships, including British International Investment and UK Export Finance, will support new, long-term finance for clean infrastructure and help the region鈥檚 green economic growth

4.4. Digital

• in June 2025, the UK Mission to ASEAN launched the Open Trade Pillar of the Economic Integration Programme, aimed at accelerating ASEAN鈥檚 economic integration through trade and digitalisation
• we are exploring where digital solutions can best help realise mutual benefits for UK and Southeast Asian businesses, spanning areas such as e-payments, regulatory reform and trade facilitation
• from October 2023 to July 2024 the British Chamber of Commerce and LogChain delivered a series of pilots supporting multiple businesses across Southeast Asia and the UK to trade digitally for the first time rather than via physical customs documents
• from 24 to 28 March 2025, UK-Southeast Asia Tech Week was delivered in Ho Chi Minh City and Manila. This event brought together British and Southeast Asian tech companies, researchers and government officials to build new commercial partnerships, exchange ideas and agree new areas of collaboration
• in June 2025, the UK supported over 100 businesses, researchers and government officials from Southeast Asia to visit the UK for London Tech Week. The programme included site visits to R&D centres, meetings with UK tech companies and investor and policy roundtables

4.5. Science, technology and innovation

• the UK is home to world class science and technology. We undertake joint research with partner countries, support technology transfer and bring experts together from across the world to share ideas and expertise.
• the UK鈥檚 Newton Fund invested over 拢114 million in research and innovation activities in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam between 2014 and 2022.聽We are now building on these foundations through the UK鈥檚 new International Science Partnerships Fund
• the UK Space Agency has supported projects in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam through the 5-year 拢152 million ($190 million) , which uses the UK space sector鈥檚 research and innovation strengths to deliver a sustainable economic or societal benefit to emerging and developing economies
• in financial year 2023 to 2024, the UK invested over 拢400,000 in projects with ASEAN member states on critical technologies, including a regional workshop and training on engineering biology hosted in Singapore
• in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UK supports the regional 鈥淩esearch & Innovation for Development in ASEAN鈥� (RIDA) programme and a separate regional training programme on technology commercialisation (ASEAN i-Teams, focused on Indonesia and Vietnam). In June 2024, the UK launched a new initiative on 鈥淎I for Sustainable Development in ASEAN鈥� (AISDA) at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation
• in October 2023, we held the inaugural ASEAN-UK Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation in the Philippines. The next Dialogue will take place in October 2025

5. Socio-cultural cooperation

5.1. Environment and climate change

• the ASEAN-UK Green Transition Fund (GTF) aims to accelerate ASEAN鈥檚 transition to a clean, climate-resilient economy by reducing emissions in key sectors, supporting green economic growth and improving the lives of vulnerable people through targeted projects in ASEAN Member States plus Timor-Leste and with ASEAN institutions. The GTF operates across 5 pillars: climate policy and institutional capacity development; green finance; energy; sustainable cities and mobility; and nature-based solutions
• the UK Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) programme supports resilience in ASEAN through funding for research and innovation projects to promote urban resilience
• countries in Southeast Asia continue to benefit from other UK climate finance, including through programmes such as:
  • the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility (ACGF) to support the development of sustainable and resilient infrastructure such as renewable energy, clean transportation or urban infrastructure in ASEAN
  • the Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) programme to help countries across Asia strengthen their resilience to climate change
  • the UK鈥檚 Blue Planet Fund to supports developing countries including in Southeast Asia to protect the marine environment and reduce poverty. As part of this Fund, the Climate and Ocean Adaptation and Sustainable Transition (COAST) programme is supporting work in countries such as Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam to improve the climate resilience and prosperity of vulnerable coastal communities and support the sustainable management of the marine environment
  • through its office in Singapore, the UK鈥檚 development finance institution and impact investor, British International Investment (BII) has so far invested over 拢100 million in projects and innovative business models supporting clean energy and sustainable infrastructure in the region, also helping to mobilise significant additional capital from other finance partners
  • the UK鈥檚 Biodiverse Landscape Fund aims to reduce poverty, protect and restore biodiversity, and lessen the impact of climate change in environmentally critical landscapes across the globe, including in parts of the lower Mekong region (Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam)

5.2. Education

• in May 2023, the UK announced a 5-year programme on Supporting the Advancement of Girls鈥� Education (SAGE). This programme focuses on enhancing foundational learning, improving access to education for out-of-school and addressing gender barriers to education, digital, and vocational skills. It aims to support ASEAN to address threats to long-term growth posed by low learning outcomes and help identify evidence-backed strategies on reforming education systems, thereby contributing to long-term regional prosperity
• there are over 38,000 Southeast Asian students in the UK and over 88,000 students pursuing British higher education qualifications at institutions located in the region
• the UK government provides funding for several scholarship programmes across the region. The Chevening Scholarship programme fully funds approximately 200 students a year from ASEAN Member States to study for postgraduate degrees in the UK. In September 2025, we will welcome our first cohort of ASEAN Chevening Scholars
• over the last 4 years, through the British Council, the UK government has also fully funded over 60 Women in STEM postgraduate studies and fellowships and part-funded over 100 Great Scholarships for postgraduate students
• the British Council continues to contribute to education reform and development across Southeast Asia and has engaged over 2 million people across ASEAN including 263,000 teachers of English
• the British Council has led delivery of an 拢8.5 million project to support harmonisation of higher education standards in the ASEAN region
• the Turing Scheme is the UK鈥檚 global programme for students to study and work abroad. For the academic year 2023 to 2024, there were over 3,100 planned learner visits to Southeast Asia through the Turing Scheme
• the UK engages bilaterally with ASEAN countries to support education system reform and capacity building, including through support for fact-finding visits and the work of the UK鈥檚 International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith

5.3. Health

• in June 2025, the UK launched the ASEAN-UK Health Security Partnership programme, a 5-year investment, co-developed with ASEAN, to improve capacity for the prevention, detection, and response to health threats in the region, strengthening regional and global health security
• the International Health Regulations (IHR) Strengthening project, funded by DHSC and implemented by the UK Health Security Agency, provides flexible technical support to ASEAN. The project aims to increase public health capacity for detection and response in line with the IHR (2005) benchmarks
• the UK-SEA Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub is an investment by DHSC鈥檚 UK Vaccine Network Project. The hub supports a regional approach to enhancing vaccine manufacturing capability and includes twelve research and manufacturing partners in the UK and Southeast Asia, located in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia
• DHSC鈥檚 Fleming Fund is a programme bringing evidence and people together to encourage action against drug resistance. The fund supports low- and middle-income countries, including 4 countries in Southeast Asia, to generate, share and use data to improve antimicrobial use and encourage investment in antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

5.4. Disaster management and humanitarian assistance

• through our Meteorological Office and in collaboration with the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre), the UK is designing a programme to improve the quality, accessibility and use of weather and climate information services across Southeast Asia