Why ASEAN is Expanding

Video Description

Pre-order the next issue of Too Long: https://toolong.news/usa Little-known ASEAN is quietly expanding with Timor-Leste set to join later this year, and other nearby countries being floated for membership too. In this video, we're going to explain what ASEAN is, the role it plays on the world stage, and the challenges it might face going forward. 📰 Too Long: https://toolong.news/ 💡 Got a Topic Suggestion? - https://forms.gle/mahEFmsW1yGTNEYXA Our mission is to explain news and politics in an impartial, efficient, and accessible way, balancing import and interest while fostering independent thought. TLDR is a completely independent & privately owned media company that's not afraid to tackle the issues we think are most important. The channel is run by a small group of young people, with us hoping to pass on our enthusiasm for politics to other young people. We are primarily fan sourced with most of our funding coming from donations and ad revenue. No shady corporations, no one telling us what to say. We can't wait to grow further and help more people get informed. Help support us by subscribing, engaging and sharing. Thanks! ASEAN history and integration: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-asean ASEAN statistics: https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ASEAN-Key-Figures-2024.pdf ASEAN’s response/divisions over Myanmar and South China Sea: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/escaping-asean-paralysis-myanmar https://eastasiaforum.org/2025/03/14/myanmar-shows-asean-centrality-is-weakening/ https://www.asiapacific.ca/publication/asean-ministerial-meeting-July-2024-shows-deepening-internal-rift-over-priority-issues https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/asean-issues/ Timor-Leste president on difficulty of joining ASEAN: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/easier-to-enter-heaven-than-asean-says-timor-leste-president Timor-Leste joining ASEAN: https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/timor-leste-asean/ https://thediplomat.com/2025/06/timor-leste-joins-asean/ Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2025: https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2025-02/FITW_World_2025_Feb.2025.pdf ASEAN’s ‘developmental divide’: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/asean-s-new-developmental-divide Potential for further expansion: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesia-wants-papua-new-guinea-to-join-asean-but-there-are-obstacles-in-the-way https://www.observerbd.com/news/487525 00:00 - Introduction 00:58 - Background 01:46 - Integration & Success 02:56 - Challenges 04:46 - Timor-Leste Accession 07:35 - Further Accession 08:11 - Sponsored Content