The US and China’s on-again, off-again trade dispute is casting a shadow over Asia-Pacific nations’ efforts to further open up global trade, a senior Australian government official said.Delegates at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Port Moresby this weekend pledged to keep pursuing a free and fair international trading regime, in the face of rising protectionist sentiment.

Malaysia’s 92-year-old Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is moving quickly to meet his 100-day campaign pledges that helped sweep him into office.To help him do that, he appointed a team of five advisers who are well-known in official and business circles in Malaysia, with most of them having worked with the prime minister during his more than two decades in office previously.This “council of eminent persons” has become the face of Mahathir’s economic program, meeting with investors and credit

Anwar Ibrahim has a simple message for ethnic Malays who fear losing benefits they enjoyed under the previous government’s six-decade rule: don’t worry.Anwar, who is expected to replace 92-year-old Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in a year or two, said Malaysia must assure the nation’s largest racial group that its security would be upheld.

Malaysian police seized personal items from former prime minister Najib Razak’s house in a six-hour overnight search, the New Straits Times reported, as Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s week-old government seeks evidence into wrongdoing at state fund 1MDB.Authorities took handbags, clothes and gifts as evidence but not any documents, the newspaper said, citing Najib Razak’s lawyer Harpal Singh Grewal.

Spotlight on energyThis week, The ASEAN Post highlighted some challenges that ASEAN is facing in terms of deploying renewable energy and electrification throughout the region. As the region’s energy demands grows, countries such as Myanmar are moving forward in order to quench the thirst for electricity.

ASEAN this week This week The ASEAN Post covered a wide range of stories ranging from geopolitics to the energy sector.

What can we expect from 2018?The ASEAN Post began the year with an in-depth review of what to expect from the region throughout 2018. The review covered aspects including capital markets, energy, environment, real estate, general elections and the Belt Road Initiative (BRI).Last year, ASEAN was touted to admit its 11th member – Timor-Leste but failed to do so. The topic of ascension to ASEAN is easy enough to understand.

The Southeast Asian region, like every other part of the globe has had a tempestuous year in 2017 with many hurdles thrown its way. From the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar’s Rakhine State to Duterte’s war on drugs, it is undeniable that the region is still finding its footing on rights and democracy.While these issues may or may not see a resolution in 2018, there are other things that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc can look out for.

2017 was a rollercoaster of a year and Southeast Asia was not spared from the ride. To commemorate the year as it draws to a close, The ASEAN Post would like to take readers on a journey to revisit key events and happenings in this region throughout 2017.JANUARYJanuary was not all about Trump's inauguration.

Two sides of women’s rightsThis week, The ASEAN Post reported on Malaysia’s increased efforts to add women to boardrooms in 2018.