The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an alliance promoting economic and political cooperation by fostering dialogue among its ten members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. ASEAN is becoming a major economic powerhouse in the region, having signed free-trade agreements (FTA) with China, Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, and Korea. But the regional organization faces distinct challenges of late, including, most notably, member countries' disputes over maritime sovereignty in the South China Sea. Experts say the group's lack of diplomatic coherence, differences in strategic priorities, and weak leadership has prevented it from making meaningful progress in negotiating a resolution to the tugs-of-war with China, whose blanket claims over territories in the region have inflamed diplomatic relations in recent years.