Asia House Briefing with Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN

ASEAN Secretary-General to Brief at Asia House on Geopolitics, Economic Outlook 

The Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, will deliver a private briefing at Asia House on February 10 the economic and political outlook for the region in 2026 and beyond.  

If you would like to attend, contact Nadim Khan, Head of Programmes and Member Engagement, at nadim.khan@asiahouse.org, or register your interest using the button to the left.  

Southeast Asia will remain a key engine of global growth in 2026 despite escalating geopolitical turmoil. The Asia House Annual Outlook for 2026 forecasts economies including Vietnam and the Philippines will grow by around 6 per cent, with Indonesia and Malaysia at around 5 per cent.  

The Outlook shows that Asia’s intra-regional trade is growing at an accelerated rate and will continue to do so as countries respond to US tariffs and the possibility of a trade war between the US and Europe over Greenland. 

Businesses are watching ASEAN economic integration more closely. The proposed ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, which was advanced last year with Malaysia as chair of the bloc, is close to being completed. It will be the first of its kind and is likely to boost e-commerce and digital trade significantly. 

The Secretary-General will be joined by the UK’s Ambassador to ASEAN, Helen Fazey. The UK has dialogue partnership status with ASEAN and is well advanced in the delivery of the UK-ASEAN action plan. The UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Indo-Pacific, Seema Malhotra - who launched the Asia House Annual Outlook on 15 January - has said that work is already underway for the next phase of a plan for the UK to work more closely with ASEAN. 

The private briefing with Dr. Kao is an opportunity to hear from ASEAN’S top official about the bloc’s role in ensuring harmony and economic alignment in an era of immense fragmentation. 

The briefing will be chaired by Michael Lawrence OBE, Asia House Chief Executive.  

For more information, contact Nadim Khan, Head of Programmes and Member Engagement, at nadim.khan@asiahouse.org.