"ASEAN Centrality: An Autoethnographic Account by a Philippine Diplomat guides us to a deeper understanding of the concept of ASEAN Centrality, through the eyes of one of the Philippines’ most reputable diplomats. Outlining both a personal recollection of her extensive experience and adherence to academic discipline, Ambassador Buensuceso puts forth her analysis of ASEAN Centrality as a core element of diplomacy within ASEAN. She then goes further to articulate ASEAN’s aspiration for the future of a region that is constantly evolving. This book is a must-read to understand Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific regional dynamics, as it offers an insight into ASEAN Centrality like no other." -- Retno L.P. Marsudi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia "Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso’s book ASEAN Centrality: An Autoethnographic Account by a Philippine Diplomat is a rare insider’s view into ASEAN diplomacy as we practise it here in Jakarta. The dynamics in the ASEAN-led mechanisms that she describes provide an interesting insight into national interests, unique personal traits of diplomats based here in Jakarta both from member states and external partners and their interactions with the ASEAN Secretariat. The ASEAN Secretariat together with the officers and staff are also part of this important community of diplomats. Her valuable contribution to ASEAN literature is this practical definition of ASEAN Centrality. Her insights, expertise on ASEAN affairs, and straightforward but engaging writing style make for an interesting read."--Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary General of ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is strategically significant because of its size, dynamism, and role in the Asian economic and security architectures. This paper examines how ASEAN seeks to strengthen these assets through "centrality" in intraregional and external policy decisions. It recommends a two-speed approach toward centrality in order to maximize regional incomes and benefit all member economies: first, selective engagement by ASEAN members in productive external partnerships and, second, vigorous policies to share gains across the region. This strategy has solid underpinnings in the Kemp-Wan theorem on trade agreements. It would warrant, for example, a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement with incomplete ASEAN membership, complemented with policies to extend gains across the region. The United States could support this framework by pursuing deep relations with some ASEAN members, while broadly assisting the region's development.
Written by the highly regarded diplomat Marty Natalegawa, former ambassador and foreign minister of Indonesia, this book offers a unique insider-perspective on the present and future relevance of ASEAN. It is about ASEAN’s quest for security and prosperity in a region marked by complex dynamics of power. Namely, the interplay of relations and interests among countries — large and small — which provide the settings within which ASEAN must deliver on its much-cited leadership and centrality in the region. The book seeks to answer the following questions: How can ASEAN build upon its past contributions to the peace, security and prosperity of Southeast Asia, to the wider East Asia, the Asia-Pacific and the Indo-Pacific regions? More fundamentally and a sine qua non, how can ASEAN continue to ensure that peace, security and prosperity prevail in Southeast Asia? And, equally central, how can ASEAN become more relevant to the peoples of ASEAN, such that its contributions can be genuinely felt in making better the lives of its citizens?
"ASEAN Centrality: An Autoethnographic Account by a Philippine Diplomat guides us to a deeper understanding of the concept of ASEAN Centrality, through the eyes of one of the Philippines' most reputable diplomats. Outlining both a personal recollection of her extensive experience and adherence to academic discipline, Ambassador Buensuceso puts forth her analysis of ASEAN Centrality as a core element of diplomacy within ASEAN. She then goes further to articulate ASEAN's aspiration for the future of a region that is constantly evolving. This book is a must-read to understand Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific regional dynamics, as it offers an insight into ASEAN Centrality like no other." -- Retno L.P. Marsudi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia "Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso's book ASEAN Centrality: An Autoethnographic Account by a Philippine Diplomat is a rare insider's view into ASEAN diplomacy as we practise it here in Jakarta. The dynamics in the ASEAN-led mechanisms that she describes provide an interesting insight into national interests, unique personal traits of diplomats based here in Jakarta both from member states and external partners and their interactions with the ASEAN Secretariat. The ASEAN Secretariat together with the officers and staff are also part of this important community of diplomats. Her valuable contribution to ASEAN literature is this practical definition of ASEAN Centrality. Her insights, expertise on ASEAN affairs, and straightforward but engaging writing style make for an interesting read."--Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary General of ASEAN
This volume argues that international security in the Asia-Pacific lends itself to contradictory analyses of centrifugal and centripetal trends. Transitional polycentrism is intrinsically awkward as a description of the security of states and their populations; it implies the loosening of state control and the emergence of newly asserted authority by mixed constellations of intergovernmental organizations and non-state actors. It implies a competition of agendas: threats to the integrity of borders and human security threats such as natural disasters, airliner crashes, and displacement by man-made pollution and food scarcity. Conversely, polycentrism could also imply a return to a more neo-realist oriented international order where great powers ignore ASEAN and steer regional order according to their perceived interests and relative military superiority. This book embraces these contradictory trends as a foundation of analysis and accepts that disorder can also be re-described from the perspective of studied detachment as polycentric order.
ASEAN, as being on the very core of this matter, deserves close attention through the case of Timor-Leste for understanding international strategic inclusion-exclusion dynamics. The manuscript we provide tackles this case through a small country ‘in-between’ the core global actors of economic and political concern: Timor-Leste as a ground for grasping large-scale complexities in decision-making processes, as much as the micro-understanding and dynamics of a small country ‘within the game’ – if not even on the forefront.
This book contains the most comprehensive and critical account available of the evolution of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) norms and the viability of the ASEAN way of conflict management.
Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has emerged as one of the most successful regional organizations in the world. This book discusses the future of ASEAN against a backdrop of a growing US–China rivalry and the security implications of COVID-19. Chapters in this book move through a history of ASEAN and its multilateral institutions, including the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), featuring rare photographic material to contextualize both recent developments in regional security and projections for ASEAN’s prospects. Key concepts and terms are unpacked throughout, with the chapters focusing on rapidly changing international and regional environments, economic insecurities such as trade conflicts, human rights, and ASEAN identity, and providing extensive analysis of the factors challenging the principle ASEAN Centrality and the Indo-Pacific security architecture. The concept of security community frames this book, despite being subject to change if intraregional discord and institutional stagnation take hold. As a discussion of the role and future of ASEAN in a pivotal period of world history, ASEAN and Regional Order will prove vital to both students and scholars of international relations, regional organizations, and Asian studies more broadly.
In recent times, the United States, Japan and Australia have all promoted extremely similar visions of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific as the central organizing concept to guide their efforts in the region. The concept is essentially a reaffirmation of the security and economic rules-based order which was cobbled together after the Second World War — especially as it relates to freedom of the regional and global commons such as sea, air and cyberspace, and the way nations conduct economic relations. Be that as it may, the Free and Open Indo-Pacific is an updated vision of collective action to defend, strengthen and advance that order. It signals a greater acceptance by the two regional allies of the U.S. of their security burden and takes into account the realities of China’s rise and the relative decline in dominance of the U.S. There are a number of noteworthy “updates” which include: • A deliberate move from “Asia-Pacific” to “Indo-Pacific” as the primary geo-strategic and geo-economic area of interest and responsibility for the three countries; • An increased emphasis on creating and sustaining a “balance of power” in favour of the rules-based order; and • A greater emphasis on the liberal aspects of a preferred order including the importance of rule-of-law and limitations on how governments wield their power, and greater separation of political and strategic objectives on one hand with commercial activities on the other. While operationalization of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific concept is at an early stage, trilateral strategic cooperation between the U.S., Japan and Australia is significant and quickly deepening. On the other hand, and with respect to misalignment and inconsistency, the economic policies of the Trump administration are causing considerable frustration. The three countries have also been strong supporters for the revival of the Quadrilateral grouping which also includes India. However, and notwithstanding some apprehension in Southeast Asia, about where the “Quad” is heading, the latter grouping is only still a fledgling one and its shape and development will depend on the extent to which the four countries become concerned about China’s activities in both Oceans. Finally, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its member states continue to delay any definitive response to the Free and Open Indo-Pacific concept. Although its principles are attractive to many ASEAN member states, long-held conceptions of ASEAN centrality and its meaning gives the organization apparent reason for hesitation. The reasons include fears of diminished centrality and relevance, and reluctance to endorse a more confrontational mindset being adopted by the U.S. and its allies — including the revival of the Quadrilateral grouping with India — with respect to China. The reality is that while ASEAN and major member states are focused primarily on the risks of action, there are considerable risks of inaction and hesitation. The current era will either enhance or lessen the relevance of ASEAN in the eyes of these three countries in the years ahead depending on how the organisation and its key member states respond. Indeed, the paper argues that ASEAN is more likely to be left behind by strategic events and developments if it remains passive, and that the ball is in ASEAN’s court in terms of the future of its regional “centrality”.
