Asean needs to embrace fourth industrial revolution

WHEN the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) gather for their 31st summit in the Philippines this week, they will also celebrate "Asean@50" - testimony to Asean's endurance and durability, as the longest-running regional grouping of developing countries in the world.

A major item on the agenda will be regional security and addressing the rising tide of terrorism. This takes Asean back to its roots, having been born as a politico-security pact during the Vietnam War in 1967.

Indeed, Asean's role in sustaining peace and stability in Southeast Asia is often undervalued, if not overlooked. It's easy to see why. War cannot go unnoticed but peace can, easily. Asean deserves its share of the credit for delivering the peace dividend. Moving forward, its economic success may depend on a different kind of revolution.