DEFA due to be signed next month seeks to create a more integrated digital market
A QR code payment sign at a street stall in Kuala Lumpur. ASEAN countries are working to link digital payment systems across borders as they prepare for the bloc's Digital Economy Framework Agreement. (Photo by Norman Goh)
LIEN HOANG
October 28, 2026 14:47 JST
HO CHI MINH CITY -- A major ASEAN digital accord will not be signed until next month, but governments are laying the groundwork, from QR payment codes to electronic signatures, so that their citizens and companies can use the same tools across borders.