In a survey conducted in Southeast Asia in 2025, the highest share of respondents across ten ASEAN countries stated that ASEAN should take a principled stand on the South China Sea issue that upholds international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and respect the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling. More than ** percent of respondents in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam supported this response. In contrast, Southeast Asian respondents showed limited support for the presence of other powers' militaries in the South China Sea, making it the least favored option among survey choices.
among respondents from ten ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste. Respondents are professionals from the following categories: academia, think-tankers, or researchers; private sector representatives; civil society, non-government organizations (NGOs) or media
representatives; government officials; and regional or international organizations' personnel
Method of interview
CAPI interview, questionnaire
Supplementary notes
Original question: "How should ASEAN respond to the SCS situation?"
ASEAN stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations and is a political and economic union composed of the ten member states Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Results from respondents from Timor-Leste excluded in the aggregated averages as the country is not yet an ASEAN member state.
Respondent share by nationality for the overall statistic:
Brunei: n = 7.4% Cambodia: n = 8.5% Indonesia: n = 12.5% Laos: n = 7.5% Malaysia: n = 11.9% Myanmar: n = 9.6% Philippines: n = 10.2% Singapore: n = 12% Thailand: n = 9.7% Vietnam: n = 7.7%
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ISEAS. (April 3, 2025). Opinions on how ASEAN should respond to the South China Sea (SCS) situation in Southeast Asia in 2025, by country [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 15, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1614556/sea-opinions-on-aseans-scs-response-by-country/
ISEAS. "Opinions on how ASEAN should respond to the South China Sea (SCS) situation in Southeast Asia in 2025, by country." Chart. April 3, 2025. Statista. Accessed July 15, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1614556/sea-opinions-on-aseans-scs-response-by-country/
ISEAS. (2025). Opinions on how ASEAN should respond to the South China Sea (SCS) situation in Southeast Asia in 2025, by country. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 15, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1614556/sea-opinions-on-aseans-scs-response-by-country/
ISEAS. "Opinions on How Asean Should Respond to The South China Sea (Scs) Situation in Southeast Asia in 2025, by Country." Statista, Statista Inc., 3 Apr 2025, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1614556/sea-opinions-on-aseans-scs-response-by-country/
ISEAS, Opinions on how ASEAN should respond to the South China Sea (SCS) situation in Southeast Asia in 2025, by country Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1614556/sea-opinions-on-aseans-scs-response-by-country/ (last visited July 15, 2025)
Opinions on how ASEAN should respond to the South China Sea (SCS) situation in Southeast Asia in 2025, by country [Graph], ISEAS, April 3, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1614556/sea-opinions-on-aseans-scs-response-by-country/
