The UK-ASEAN Business Council welcomes the announcement by CPTPP members that preparatory discussions will begin with the Philippines and Indonesia on their potential accession to the agreement.

The UK-ASEAN Business Council attended a roundtable discussion in London on the business case for a potential UK-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The event was organised by BritCham Indonesia and hosted at the Embassy of Indonesia in London.

The UK-ASEAN Business Council welcomes the launch of negotiations for the Malaysia-UK Digital Trade Agreement. Once concluded, the agreement will represent a significant milestone in the UK-Malaysia bilateral relationship and support UK businesses seeking to engage with the continued growth of Malaysia and ASEAN’s digital economy.

Fresh from leading a delegation alongside TheCityUK to present to ASEAN Deputy Finance Ministers and Bank Governors in Manila, the UK-ASEAN Business Council (UKABC) held its inaugural meeting with the ASEAN London Committee (ALC) - the body comprising the Ambassadors and High Commissioners of all eleven ASEAN member states based in London.

The UK-ASEAN Business Council (UKABC) is pleased to announce the successful delivery of the 5th UK-ASEAN Business Forum 2026, held at HSBC’s global headquarters in Canary Wharf, London.

UK-ASEAN Business Council CEO, Ian Gibbons OBE, is delighted to announce that Siderise has joined the UK‑ASEAN Business Council as a new member.

ASEAN must be inclusive - not only working with big business, but especially for MSMEs and micro enterprises. This was the key message from Joey Concepcion III, ASEAN BAC Chair 2026, at the first Joint Business Council meeting for the year.

Brunei Darussalam is advancing a carefully sequenced economic transformation - strengthening fiscal resilience, accelerating diversification, and pursuing a pragmatic energy transition aligned with long-term sustainability. As the country broadens its economic base beyond upstream hydrocarbons, there is a strong policy focus on downstream and value-added activities, alongside the development of new growth sectors, modern infrastructure, and future-ready human capital.

As a member of the Joint Business Councils (JBC), UKABC is delighted to extend an invitation by the ASEAN Business and Advisory Council (BAC) to participate in the ASEAN Business Barometer Survey.

UKABC is pleased to publish this thought leadership article from Pearson on ‘AI and the Future of Work in Southeast Asia: Fixing the Skills Gap’. Read on for the thoughts of Craig McFarlane, Vice President APAC, Pearson Enterprise Learning & Skills, on the impact of AI on the future of work in ASEAN. Craig also introduces the work that Pearson is leading to demonstrate how AI-driven growth can be inclusive, sustainable, and transformative.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy spoke at the UK Post Ministerial Conference with ASEAN member states, highlighting achievements under the UK's Dialogue Partnership.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Kingdom today officially launched the ASEAN-UK Health Security Partnership Programme (HSP), a five-year programme, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as a major new initiative aimed at strengthening Southeast Asia’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats.

As featured in the newly released Investing in ASEAN 2025|2026 publication, UKABC Chair, The Rt Hon. the Lord Vaizey of Didcot, shares his perspective on the UK’s growing strategic partnership with ASEAN. In his op-ed, Lord Vaizey outlines the economic opportunities for UK businesses across the region and highlights the significance of deepening digital, trade, and sustainability cooperation.

Allen Lai, UKABC’s Director of ASEAN and Corporate Affairs, participated in the 12th ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting (AFMGM), held in Malaysia.

Lord Vaizey, Ian Gibbons, and Ben Raby attended a lunch discussion hosted by Cheong Boon Png, Chair of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), in London this week. We were delighted that UKABC partners, including Arup, AstraZeneca, KPMG, Mott MacDonald, Prudential plc and Standard Chartered were able to join us for the opportunity to engage in discussions and explore broader regional ASEAN collaboration amidst current economic trends and challenges. BAE Systems, Element Materials Technology, and Plexal were also present.

UKABC was delighted to work alongside the UK Department for Business and Trade and the Philippines Department of Trade and Industry to host a briefing and reception to celebrate the inaugural UK-Philippines Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO).

Over 120 senior industry and government figures from across ASEAN and the UK gathered in person for the UK-ASEAN Business Forum 2025 – UKABC’s annual flagship event in support of UK-ASEAN bilateral trade, investment, and government engagement.

Lord Vaizey, as Chair of the UK-ASEAN Business Council, spoke during last week’s House of Lords debate on the importance of continuing to grow the UK’s trade and investment partnership with Southeast Asia.

Minister for the Indo-Pacific Catherine West recently visited Indonesia with a focus on green growth and for meetings with the permanent representatives to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as the UK enters its fourth year as an ASEAN Dialogue Partner. The Minister also travelled to Timor-Leste to reaffirm UK support for the country’s application to join ASEAN.

On Thursday 16 January, the UK and Malaysia held the inaugural ministerial-led Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) meeting. The Joint Statement following the meeting between The UK Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security, Douglas Alexander MP, and Malaysian Minister for Investment, Trade and Industry, Tengku Zafrul Aziz can be read here.