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CFR Backgrounders
ASEAN: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ASEAN: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Authors: Isabella Bennett, Program Coordinator, International Institutions and Global Governance, Julie Ginsberg, and Beina Xu
Updated: October 8, 2013
Beawiharta Beawiharta/Courtesy Reuters
Introduction
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.
Despite the territorial tensions, ASEAN has proved a vital and welcoming partner in Asia for the United States as Washington makes its strategic pivot toward Asia. Anxiety over Chinese economic and military expansion has also motivated the United States to deepen engagement with ASEAN and other multilateral institutions to secure U.S. influence in the region. In recent years, Washington has strengthened economic and security ties with ASEAN by joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, attending ASEAN summits, and formally establishing a U.S.-ASEAN annual summit. It has also made strong diplomatic assurances of its commitment to the region with high-profile state visits to countries like Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
Addressing Regional Security Issues
ASEAN was formed in 1967 amid the Vietnam War, uniting Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand against the potential threat of a communist-led insurgency. It was originally intended to serve as a security community, promoting social and political stability during a turbulent time in the region, says CFR Senior Fellow Sheila A. Smith.
In addition to preventing intraregional flare-ups, ASEAN provided a way for the countries to create "a voice for themselves in the broader Cold War arena so the Southeast Asian area would speak as one on particular issues," Smith says. To that end, ASEAN signed the Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality [PDF] accord in 1971. The resolution signaled ASEAN's refusal to be divided along Cold War lines, says Sheldon Simon, a professor of political science at Arizona State University.
The fall of the Soviet Union left ASEAN "searching for a new organizing principle for security," Simon says, and ASEAN has since established these forums to address more contemporary challenges:
Energy and EnvironmentGlobal GovernanceHealthPeace, Conflict, and Human RightsPolitics and StrategySociety and CultureTechnology and ScienceTerrorismSearchCFR Backgrounders ASEAN: The Association of Southeast Asian NationsASEAN: The Association of Southeast Asian NationsAuthors: Isabella Bennett, Program Coordinator, International Institutions and Global Governance, Julie Ginsberg, and Beina XuUpdated: October 8, 2013Beawiharta Beawiharta/Courtesy ReutersIntroductionThe 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.Despite the territorial tensions, ASEAN has proved a vital and welcoming partner in Asia for the United States as Washington makes its strategic pivot toward Asia. Anxiety over Chinese economic and military expansion has also motivated the United States to deepen engagement with ASEAN and other multilateral institutions to secure U.S. influence in the region. In recent years, Washington has strengthened economic and security ties with ASEAN by joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, attending ASEAN summits, and formally establishing a U.S.-ASEAN annual summit. It has also made strong diplomatic assurances of its commitment to the region with high-profile state visits to countries like Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar.Addressing Regional Security IssuesASEAN was formed in 1967 amid the Vietnam War, uniting Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand against the potential threat of a communist-led insurgency. It was originally intended to serve as a security community, promoting social and political stability during a turbulent time in the region, says CFR Senior Fellow Sheila A. Smith.In addition to preventing intraregional flare-ups, ASEAN provided a way for the countries to create "a voice for themselves in the broader Cold War arena so the Southeast Asian area would speak as one on particular issues," Smith says. To that end, ASEAN signed the Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality [PDF] accord in 1971. The resolution signaled ASEAN's refusal to be divided along Cold War lines, says Sheldon Simon, a professor of political science at Arizona State University.The fall of the Soviet Union left ASEAN "searching for a new organizing principle for security," Simon says, and ASEAN has since established these forums to address more contemporary challenges:
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