Southeast Asia connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and its waters are one of the most strategic maritime spaces in the world in terms of global trade, food and energy security and marine biodiversity. For centuries, the region has been a key driver in the bustling inter-regional trade, exchange of ideas and cultures, as well as the movement of peoples between the East and the West. While this role remains one of the region’s many contributions to global peace, security and prosperity, the importance of Southeast Asia as a maritime region, as affirmed in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), transcends its historical role and traditional geographical scope.

Indeed, the importance of the maritime domain for the region has grown significantly over time. Far from being just a transit point for inter-continental trade, Southeast Asia is now an important player in the global economy. ASEAN is the fifth largest economy in the world and is on track to move up to the fourth position by 2030. In addition, five ASEAN Member States – Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam – are ranked among the top 30 major exporting economies of the world. From a strategic viewpoint, the region’s major sea lines of communication, such as the Malacca, Singapore, and Lombok Straits, and the South China Sea, are vital arteries in the world’s supply chain, energy security, and connectivity. On food security, Indonesia, Thailand and Viet Nam are among the world’s top 10 largest fish-producing countries. Thus, the maritime domain is more than just an important sea line of communication. It is an integral part of ASEAN’s strategic, political, economic, and social life.