Regional group needs deeper integration

ASEAN must improve cohesion among member states before it can become a true leader in the global community

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was founded in 1967 when five countries - Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines - chose to come together to survive at the height of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.

It was the same year that Delia Albert joined the Philippines' foreign service.

"It was born out of fear," the former Philippine foreign secretary said of the bloc's formation, speaking at the 14th ASEAN Leadership Forum, held in Manila on April 28.

Survival, according to international relations theories, is always the prime goal of any state, large or small.

Fifty years later, the situation has improved dramatically for ASEAN, which now comprises 10 member states, including Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. They now need to worry far less about survival.

With a population of roughly 650 million, the bloc offers a market estimated at $2.6 trillion, making it collectively the third-largest economy in Asia and the seventh in the world.

ASEAN has developed regular dialogue mechanisms with almost all major regional and global powerhouses including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the US.

And it is more than an international organization focused on economic cooperation or collective security. Political elites from the region have recently called on the bloc to play a bigger role in international governance.

Fidel Ramos, former president of the Philippines, said in his speech at the ASEAN Leadership Forum that the bloc could play a key role in promoting economic development and the rule of law, and addressing global challenges like climate change.

To many people's surprise, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has appealed to Southeast Asian countries for support in its row with the US to prevent what it warned could be a "nuclear holocaust", according to a letter obtained by news agency AFP.

In the letter to ASEAN's secretary-general, DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho warned the situation on the Korean Peninsula was "reaching the brink of war" because of Washington's actions.

"I express my expectations that ASEAN, which attaches great importance to the regional peace and stability, will make an issue of the US-South Korean joint military exercises at ASEAN conferences from the fair position and play an active role in safeguarding the peace and safety of the Korean Peninsula," said the letter, dated March 23, according to the AFP report on April 27.

The DPRK is known to have close ties with some ASEAN members, including Cambodia and Laos. In 2015, there was speculation that Indonesia would invite the DPRK leader to attend the 60th anniversary of the Asia-Africa Conference held in the archipelago.

Coincidently, Surin Pitsuwan, former ASEAN secretary-general, recently called on the regional grouping to enhance the role of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) to solve the crisis in the Korean Peninsula.

Pyongyang was included as a member of the ARF in 2000 when Pitsuwan was foreign minister of Thailand, which was the ASEAN chair at that time.

"The ARF should take on bigger tasks and more critical issues, not just sit together and discuss natural disasters. It should face up to issues and confront problems critical for the region," Pitsuwan told a meeting of editors from the Asia News Network in Bangkok in mid-April.

However, ASEAN still needs to address some key challenges to become a true leader in the international community. Doubts have been raised whether cohesion is strong enough among the bloc's member states.

Aside from clear differences in terms of economic and social development, they often have differing views on global issues. Compared to the European Union, for example, ASEAN is still a long way from having unified foreign and defense policies.

Also, a unified market has not yet emerged, despite the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community at the end of 2015.

As Max Coleman, head of corporate affairs and business development at the UK-ASEAN Business Council, said at last month's forum, ASEAN is still not a concrete concept for British businesses.

A diplomat from a member state told China Daily Asia Weekly that ASEAN is still an idea shared by political elites. Ordinary people, in other words, have not enjoyed the group's benefits and influence, according to the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The landscape of international relations is fast changing, as globalization is in retreat, or, at least, has slowed down.

Multilateralism, which has been the main theme since the late 20th century, is weakening while unilateralism - which means power plays, rather than rules and institutions - is about to dominate the world order.

In order to cope with the new global trend, ASEAN needs to be more integrated and strengthen its institutions and mechanisms.

The group must address these key challenges - otherwise it will have a long way to go to be a true leader in the international community.

The author is a staff writer at China Daily specializing in foreign affairs.

zhanghaizhou@chinadaily.com.cn

(HK Edition 05/08/2017 page19)