The global order is shifting, with the dominance of the US being challenged by a rising China and a more multipolar world taking shape. For Southeast Asia, these changes bring both opportunities and risks: ASEAN is attracting investment as companies diversify their supply chains, but many countries remain heavily dependent on foreign capital, low wages and competition with their neighbours. So is ASEAN really emerging as a winner of this new global order, or are we simply reproducing the same old model of dependency? And what would it take for the region to build its own productive capacity, strengthen regional integration and move towards a higher-wage, more self-sufficient economy? We unpack all of this with Edward Vrkic, Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 

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