International Relations of Southeast Asia

Running head: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
Answer 6
In a provincemainly bereft of regional administrationsas well as long separated by Cold
War, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been regarded as the most
noteworthymultidimensional association since the last four decades. Sincethe Cold War has
ended, ASEAN has developed rapidly decisive. While considerableproportion of the West and
expanding markets tend to suffer due to global recession of 2008, the prominent ASEAN
economies have improved and have been gradually developing1. Studies of Misalucha-
Willoughby (2018) have noted that ASEAN has aided Southeast Asia to prevent from any
interstate conflicts regardless of several brewing territorial disputes in the region. Considering its
size with a populace of more than 640 million, substantial shared economic loadand powerful
affiliates like Indonesia and Singapore, ASEAN has developed the capacity to develop high
decisiveness. Pagovski (2015) has noted that if it had borders that are more open and liberated
intra-ASEAN business, it could appeal to significant investment, enhance its competitiveness in
anarray of industries also serve contributory role in global commercial and trade forums2.
According to Yates (2017), an authorized ASEAN Secretariat has the competence to deal with
diplomatic, financial and security challenges in a highly destructive as well as comprehensive
manner3. The following paper will discuss about the potential and capacity of ASEAN to be a
diplomatic actor in East Asia.
Discussion
1Misalucha-Willoughby, Charmaine. How to change the game of security cooperation: The case of the ASEAN-
China strategic partnership. No. 121/2018. Working Papers on East Asian Studies, 2018.
2Pagovski, Zhikica Zach. "Public Diplomacy of Multilateral Organizations: The Cases of NATO, EU, and
ASEAN." Los Angeles, Figueroa Press 51 (2015): 61.
3Pagovski, Zhikica Zach. "Public Diplomacy of Multilateral Organizations: The Cases of NATO, EU, and
ASEAN." Los Angeles, Figueroa Press 51 (2015): 61.

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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
There is mounting evidence for the fact that ASEAN has played a crucial role in
negotiating genuine social roles by acting in the form of a ‘primary administrator’ in Southeast
Asia and has effectively adorned the roles and responsibilities of being a ‘regional conductor’ in
Asia-Pacific. The key role of ASEAN in diplomacy can be accredited to the presence of three
distinct and definite periods namely, (i) 1954–1975 when the role of primary manager for
ASEAN emerged, following conducting consultations with the USA, (ii) 1978–1991 when the
role got further reinforced by participating in negotiations and discussions with China, at the
time of Cambodian conflict, and (iii) 1991-current when the role of a regional conductor got
created and advanced by the ASEAN4. The aforementioned negotiations conducted with other
nations helped in the establishment of appropriate division of labour. This in turn facilitated the
great powers to provide the much needed security to public goods. In addition, the negotiations
also promoted the transfer of the roles of diplomatic control to ASEAN.
Its role as a primary diplomatic actor can also be associated to the fact that ASEAN holds
the capability of sustaining the roles and responsibilities, by effectively preserving and upholding
role bargains that are tolerable and conventional to the great powers. This in turn is a
progressively difficult job due to the existence of great power competition in South China Sea.
Presence of adequate diplomacy skills also allows the ASEAN leaders to effectively
communicate, without being involved in any circumstance that are marked by bringing the
negotiations and considerations into the community view5. The role of ASEAN as a diplomatic
actor can also be associated to the presence of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) that met in
1994 for the first time, and has taken considerable efforts in fostering positive dialogue and
4Yates, Robert. "ASEAN as the ‘regional conductor’: understanding ASEAN's role in Asia-Pacific order." The
Pacific Review 30, no. 4 (2017): 443-461.
5Yates, Robert. Understanding ASEAN's Role in Asia-Pacific Order. Springer Nature, 2019.

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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
discussion with other nations, and has also promoted building of confidence, thereby preventing
diplomacy in the province. ASEAN also participates in meetings with European nations during
Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM), whereby exchange of informal dialogues has helped it to
strengthen cooperation between the republics, thus promoting diplomacy6.
Meanwhile, as per the view of Pagovski (2015), in its way to shared goals and problems
that have resulted to critical confrontations and encounter, ASEAN has put utmost emphasis on
dialogue and discussionrather than supportingexaggeration, conflict and confrontation. The
primary practice of integrating the ASEAN economy intended mainly at dynamic efficiency,
undemanding and less expensive trade and business7. Reports of RatihIndraswari(2015) have
noted that ASEAN through its diplomatic process has stimulated the implementations of the
ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), which has been embarking on conflicts and consultations on
the liberalization of commerce in service encompassing all service sectors along with all modes
of supply. ASEAN collaboration in several other areas has reinforced the consistency of
regionalism and strengthened the regional distinctiveness of Southeast Asia, which
consequentlyelevated the stake in regional peace and progress. According to Mathew (2016),
ASEAN cooperation has significantly continued on amounting range of endeavoursrelated to
employment, education and health, environmental protection, social safety associations and the
family, large-scalecorruption, science and technology, rural growth, illegal activities, food and
agriculture, labour in addition to the status of women along with small and medium enterprises8.
6Pagovski, Zhikica Zach. "Public Diplomacy of Multilateral Organizations: The Cases of NATO, EU, and
ASEAN." Los Angeles, Figueroa Press 51 (2015): 61.
7Ma, RatihIndraswari. "Cultural Diplomacy in ASEAN: Collaborative Efforts." International Journal of Social
Science and Humanity 5, no. 4 (2015): 394.
8Caballero-Anthony, Mely. "Understanding ASEAN's centrality: bases and prospects in an evolving regional
architecture." The Pacific Review 27, no. 4 (2014): 563-584.