The eagles continue to gather as the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) approaches its rebirth as a European Union-like economic community next year. Reports are that automaker Volkswagen is planning new efforts to set up a manufacturing centre in ASEAN after failing to get a foothold in Malaysia in 2007. Instead, Volkswagen has been exporting into ASEAN, but it sold only 12,000 units last year, a far cry from its operation in China, where it sold 2.3 million vehicles. Reports say Volkswagen is looking at Thailand, which has an established automaking business, and Indonesia, now ASEAN’s largest light vehicle market.
