ASEAN’s new developmental divide
“Since Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV for short) joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in quick succession in the late 1990s, the region’s peak organisation has held serious concerns about what came to be termed the ‘ASEAN developmental divide’ – the yawning gap between the economic strength of the wealthier established members and the new additions.”
“Timor-Leste is likely to acquire full ASEAN membership imminently, having been accepted as an in-principle member in late 2022. With Timor-Leste’s accession, the gap between ASEAN’s richest and poorest members is set to widen. Twenty-six years since the last new member joined (Cambodia in 1999), it might be time for a new abbreviation.”
Read the full article in The Interpreter from the Lowy Institute.