More than half of opinion makers in Southeast Asia believe the European Union will "do the right thing" to improve the world, according to the latest research published by the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

The annual survey compiles answers from the ASEAN-10 — Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, Laos, and Brunei. For the first time this year, it also includes Timor-Leste.

The institute quizzed more than 2,000 people over who they believe are "in a position to inform or influence policy" in the Southeast Asian region. This includes members of the academia, think tanks and researchers, government officials, private sector representatives, civil society and NGO activists, media workers, and members of international organizations.

The researchers conducted the survey for several weeks in January and February this year, both before and after Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington.

Among other questions, they asked if participants believed the EU would "do the right thing" and "contribute to global peace, security, prosperity,........

© Deutsche Welle