ASEAN will not pick sides to harm regional stability

The just concluded meeting between leaders from the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at Sunnylands Rancho Mirage, California, the first for both sides, produced several agreements on economic cooperation, as well as traditional and nontraditional security coordination.

The two-day gathering focused on building a stronger US-ASEAN strategic partnership and economic community. However, Washington's touting of so-called freedom of navigation and binding standards to "demilitarize" the South China Sea has the potential to hijack the interests of ASEAN and its members and further complicate the regional situation.

As he is in his final year in office, US President Barack Obama wants to further his rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific strategy as part of his legacy while he can. Therefore, the meeting outcomes might have been less than satisfactory for him, especially given his desire to exploit the US-ASEAN partnership against China.