Malaysia and ASEAN

Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is the capital and largest city in the country. The country has a population of over 32 million and covers an area of 330,345 square kilometres.

Malaysia's constant drive to develop and upgrade its infrastructure has resulted in one of the most well-developed infrastructures among the newly industrializing countries of Asia. The country has seven international ports, the major one being the Port Klang. it also features 200 industrial parks and specialised parks, including Technology Park Malaysia and Kulim Hi-Tech Park.

The economy has traditionally relied on its natural resources but is expanding in the sectors of science, tourism, commerce and medical tourism. The country is also a founding member of ASEAN and a member of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation).

The GDP was USD 372 billion in 2021, while the GDP per capita amounted to USD 11,400. The total value of Malaysia's international trade amounted to USD 443 billion in 2021, with the exports amounting to USD 238 billion, and the total value of imports to USD 205 billion. The main import and export destinations were China, Singapore and the United States.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a political and economic union of ten members, has 667 million people and a territory of 4.5 million Km2; is currently the third largest economy in Asia-Pacific and the fifth largest in the World. The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) has a combined GDP of USD 3.6 trillion according to estimates for 2022.