The Association of Southeast Asian Nations should be an economic powerhouse. Asean’s population of 625m is set to grow by 120m before 2030, adding to an abundant pool of labour that complements bounteous natural resources. Yet the 10-member region punches well below its weight: it accounts for 3 per cent of global gross domestic product but is home to 9 per cent of the world’s population. The underachievement derives in part from political and regulatory diversity that undermines regional competitiveness and inhibits inflows of investment into manufacturing and infrastructure.
東南亞國家聯盟（ASEAN，簡稱東盟）應成爲一個強大的經濟集團。東盟的6.25億人口將在2030年之前增加1.2億，不但可以擴大本就充裕的勞動力儲備，而且該地區還擁有豐富的自然資源。然而，這個10國集團的表現並不盡如人意：東盟擁有世界9%的人口，卻只佔全球GDP的3%。這種不佳表現部分源於成員國在政治和監管方面的多樣性，這削弱了區域的競爭力，抑制了對製造業和基礎設施的投資。