ASEAN Regional Forum Research Articles

ROLE OF ASEAN IN ECONOMIC INTEGRATION PROCESSES IN ASIA

ASEAN plays significant role in the economic integration processes in Asia. The financial crisis in 1997 fostered the integration processes between Asian countries. Asian integration mainly characterized by the open regionalism which promotes economic integration and trade liberalization between states. Asian regionalism is market-driven and open to economic cooperation, trade and investment. ASEAN promote the internal integration between member states of the organization and external integration between ASEAN and partners. ASEAN’s initiativesthat focused on external integration such as ASEAN Regional Forum, APEC, East Asia Summit, ASEAN+3 and others. Through its collaborative efforts and commitment to fostering economic partnerships, the Asian region has witnessed substantial progress in trade, investme nt and economic cooperation. The article analyzes the intra-regional trade, investment flows , economic cooperation initiatives between ASEAN and East Asian countries. This article examine s economic relations of ASEAN with China, Japan and South Korea in the framework of ASEAN+3. The ASEAN+3 forum fosters economic cooperation between Southeast Asia and East Asian countries such as China, Japan, South Korea. The cooperation between ASEAN and China, Japan, South Korea mainly focused on the economic cooperation, mainly trade, FDI Investment and digital economy.ASEAN+3 considered asan important platform for promoting regiona l cooperation between the countries of Southeast Asia and East Asia.

ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM AS A COOPERATIVE SECURITY MECHANISM

The article explores the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) as a pivotal cooperative security framework in Asia-Pacific. Cooperative security, characterized by multilateralism, inclusiveness, transparency, and consensus-building, underpins the ARF’s functioning. The study delves into the ARF’s establishment during the post-Cold War era, highlighting ASEAN’s political and diplomatic gains, which fostered trust among major powers and regional actors. The authors analyse the ARF’s development, noting its primary focus on confidence-building measures, reflecting the principles of non-interference and consensus inherent in ASEAN’s norms. Key findings indicate that while the ARF has made strides in enhancing regional security dialogue, it remains constrained by its slow-moving approach to preventive diplomacy and the lack of coercive mechanisms. The Forum's ability to address traditional security challenges, such as the North Korean nuclear threat and the South China Sea dispute, is limited. Therefore, the ARF focuses on addressing non-traditional security issues, including counterterrorism and disaster mitigation. The findings show that ARF's role encompasses extending ASEAN’s cooperative security norms to the broader Asia-Pacific region, promoting transparency and fostering a collaborative security environment by means of confidence-building measures. The article posits that while ASEAN’s leadership in the ARF is more an outcome of regional circumstances than deliberate strategy, the ASEAN Regional Forum remains an important mechanism for security cooperation in Asia-Pacific.

Geopolitical Competition Among Great Powers and ASEAN’s Policy Preference

The United States has long been a security ally and economic partner of ASEAN members. The strengths of the U.S.-ASEAN partnership include cooperation on regional security, economic growth, and people-to-people ties. The United States also supports ASEAN's efforts to promote regional cooperation and integration through mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum and the East Asia Summit. Moreover, the United States has demonstrated its commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which is consistent with ASEAN's own desire for a rules-based regional order. Due to its strategic presence in the Asia-Pacific region, the United States is considered to play a very important role in ASEAN's soft balance against China. ASEAN's hedging approach and bandwagoning are no longer relevant in the context of rising competition between China and the United States. This paper will explain the causes of China and ASEAN's lack of political and security cooperation. By combing and evaluating current literature discussing the political and security cooperation between ASEAN and ASEAN countries with China and the United States. ASEAN's security policy against China, in particular. This paper's main research method is to explain the adjustment of ASEAN's policy toward China in the context of great power geopolitics through the soft balance theory by analyzing the political and security cooperation between ASEAN and China and the United States, as well as the weapons imported by ASEAN countries from China and the United States.

Facing South China Sea Dispute: Where Is Asean Single Voice?

South China Sea disputes has become intense in challenging regional stability in Southeast Asia. The strategic location of rich natural resources, for instance, oil and gas has triggered China and other Claimant States in Southeast Asia in exercising their capability mainly in military power to secure their claimed area. China stretched its “Nine-Dash Line” and created an artificial island namely Spartly Island. To date, this unresolved disputed questioning the role of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the leader of regional organisation in dealing with this conflict. The disputes mechanisms have been exercised by ASEAN, for instance, Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) through ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) as well as produced guidance in facing China through Declaration of Conduct (DOC) and Code of Conduct (COC). However, the progress apparently remain insignificant in achieving agreement. This paper examines ASEAN’s leadership in bridging the dispute through assessing the effectiveness of its dispute mechanisms through Confident Building Measures (CBM) as a diplomatic strategy in reaching one single voice in facing China.

A ‘Uniform’ for All States?

A ‘Uniform’ for All States?

The Role of ASEAN and Vietnam in Counter-Terrorism

This study examines the role of Vietnam in the fight against terrorism. The study focuses on the activities of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its member VietNam in the area of counter-terrorism, radicalism and extremism. The authors examine in detail the legal framework of ASEAN’s counter-terrorism activities: the ASEAN Convention on Counter-Terrorism, the ASEAN Comprehensive Plan of Action on Counter-Terrorism, ASEAN plan of action to prevent and counter the rise of radicalisation and violent extremism (POA PCVE). Moreover, close attention is given to the activities of specialized bodies: ASEAN Ministerial Meetings on Transnational Crime (AMMTC), Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the Intersessional Meeting on Terrorism and Transnational Crime (ISM on CTTC). The main conclusions of the study are the establishment of activities of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the field of counter-terrorism, the definition of the role of Vietnam in the fight against terrorism, radicalism and extremism, Analysis of Viet Nam’s cooperation with various international organizations on counter-terrorism issues and identification of further necessary actions of Vietnam aimed at improving the fight against terrorism. The relevance of the study is due to the increased level of terrorist threat in the world and in the region of South-East Asia in particular. This study is based on the theory of political realism, which views international relations as an eternal confrontation between States defending their national interests. In the process of studying this problem, the authors apply institutional, analytical and problem-chronological methods.

РОЛЬ АСЕАН У РОЗВИТКУ ЕКОНОМІКИ ПІВДЕННО-СХІДНОЇ АЗІЇ

The article investigates the role of the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations in the process of forming the economy of the lands of SouthEast Asia. Defining the role and place of multilateral dialogue mechanisms in particular, the ASEAN Regional Forum, in the Southeast Asia on economic issues in the architecture of the economy is a highly important issue of the thesis. It is argued that due to the post-bipolar security uncertainty in Southeast Asia the request to establish a regional security body that would include not only ASEAN member states but also their Asia Pacific dialogue partners and other countries to develop joint collective threat response to economic threats facing the region. The structure of the article is aimed at gaining optimal solution of the set tasks. It allowed to obtain scientific results in the form of conclusions that give a holistic view of the conceptual principles, mechanisms, core directions of ASEAN economic activity in Southeast Asia, specific cooperation patterns between member states of the Association and key non-regional actors in international relations, including Ukraine. For this purpose, the subject limits of research and the use of a wide range of general and special methods are substantiated in the article, which allowed studying the object of research. The study provides a thorough analysis of the scientific level development of the problem, reveals the main trends of modern research on the problems of East Asian economic processes. In the course of the study, the regulatory, axiological and praxeological principles of the Association's functioning were analyzed using the example of the ASEAN Community as a basic economic initiative of the organization, aimed at ensuring the necessary level of cooperation among member states in solving urgent problems. The author of the article draws attention to the fact that in the early 90s of the XX century іn SouthЕast Asia, a number of threats not only of a traditional (conventional) but also to a greater extent non-traditional (transnational/cross-border) nature became actualized. The processes of globalization, the specificity of regionalism, the dynamics of economic processes have led to the appearance of a number of problems and challenges in the field of economy, which the countries of the SouthЕast Asian region have faced. Thus, this study is relevant, as it provides an understanding of the dynamics and main trends of the economic development of the SouthЕast Asian region, in particular, in the field of economic cooperation. For Ukraine, the results of the study open up additional opportunities for establishing friendly and constructive relations with ASEAN member countries.

Examining Southeast Asia’s Diplomacy on Nuclear Disarmament and Nuclear Security: Shared Norms and a Regional Agenda

Member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) support the norms of nuclear disarmament and nuclear security through diplomatic efforts at the global level and regional efforts to promote nuclear safety and security. This is demonstrated in how ASEAN helped push for negotiation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and its eventual passage, as well as ongoing efforts to promote regional cooperation in advancing nuclear security and nuclear safety. Regional frameworks and mechanisms like the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM), the ASEAN Regional Forum, and the East Asia Summit provide the platforms for ASEAN to advance its diplomacy in promoting the norms of nuclear governance.

Strategic Region of Southeast Asia: The Formation of a Security Architecture

The present study is aimed at studying the experience of forming a regional security architecture on the example of Southeast Asia.Aim. Study and generalization of the historical experience of the formation of the security architecture in Southeast Asia and its current state, participation in a scientific discussion on the problems of the Eurasian space.Tasks. To carry out an express analysis of the fundamental decisions of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (hereinafter — ASEAN, the Association) on security issues, their effectiveness in regional political practice; to identify the main problems of the process of forming a regional security system and the impact of global instability, contradictory bilateral relations between the states of the region; to determine the reasons for the eclecticism of its current state, as well as different approaches to assessing the results of ASEAN’s activities over the entire period of its existence, caused by the lag in making operational decisions on security in the conditions of real modern socio-political and economic processes; to identify the main mechanisms and tools of the Southeast regional security architecture from the East Asian Summit to the Committees ASEAN by areas of activity, from Joint Statements to Programs, including the ASEAN Regional Security Architecture Program, and Action Plans.Methodology. Using historical, comparative and structural-functional methods based on the main content of the documents of the ASEAN Regional Forum, the East Asian Summit, the Russia-ASEAN dialogue program, as well as research models of Russian and foreign scientists and experts, existing problems were identified, the process of forming a regional security system, and the need to study the experience of ASEAN was justified.Results. The study showed the general and special features of the process of formation of the regional security system of Southeast Asia and regional security architectures in Central Asia and Europe. It is confirmed that the current global uncertainty and instability contribute to the formation of a trend towards regional coalitions and the strengthening of regional security architectures. The multidirectional positions of the members of the Association on issues of national and regional security have been revealed. ASEAN uses the experience of other regional coalitions, primarily NATO, in shaping the security architecture. There are problems in the efficiency of decision-making and this has both negative and positive consequences.Conclusions. In contrast to the established Euro-Atlantic security architecture, which excludes a significant part of Europe in the form of the European part of the Russian Federation, the Eurasian strategic space is currently in the process of forming a security system, which includes only certain groups of states. The research is mainly aimed at studying approaches to the content and forms of cooperation between these countries in security issues. Modern global processes negatively affect all levels of security and actualize the problem of strengthening it at the regional level. Even in the difficult conditions of Southeast Asia, ASEAN manages to partially minimize the consequences of challenges, threats and security risks. In the south-eastern strategic region, the problems of protracted conflicts, significant differences in the economic and political development of the member States of the Association still remain unresolved, and this negatively affects the achievement of unity and the development of cooperation relations between the countries of the region, as well as the stabilization of the regional situation. The existing problems in the efficiency of decision-making at the regional level have both negative and positive consequences. They are currently balanced. Participation in the work of various international institutions is of great political importance, and has an impact on the status of subjects of the global or regional political process. Participation in the dialogue programs of the ASEAN of Russia is justified and contributes to the continuation of contacts with the countries of Southeast Asia. The experience of the long-term existence of the regional coalition can be used in other regions of Eurasia.

РЕГИОНАЛЬНЫЙ ФОРУМ АСЕАН В КОНТЕКСТЕ ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЯ МОРСКОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ АТР: ВРЕМЯ МЫСЛИТЬ МАСШТАБНЕЕ

The paper reviews the evolution of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and addresses crucial issues the Forum is encountering. Starting from an outline of the ARF’s achievements and limitations, the paper further proceeds to exploring the maritime security dimension of the Forum’s activity to finally turn to the pivotal task the ARF has to resolve in the present international circumstances. The author argues that the ARF’s inability to produce positive results in handling Asia-Pacific maritime security challenges is part of its bigger deficiencies, most importantly, the ARF’s failure to offer its participants, primarily, China and the US, a consolidating agenda of cooperation. As long as this problem remains unresolved, the ARF’s contribution to keeping Asia-Pacific maritime security challenges manageable will remain minor at best.

HEGEMONIC POWER RIVALRY IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND THE FUTURE OF THE GLOBAL ORDER

The issue of the South China Sea is obvious in terms of the Sino-American New Cold War, and is one of the most important issues today.Importantly, China's ultimate goal of dominance can be seen here, as well as its potential to have serious consequences for its much smaller and weaker neighbors. . In the wake of the post-Cold War optimism and courage, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has sought to create a more inclusive, stable and comprehensive order in the wider East Asian region. For example, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) provided an unprecedented platform for constructive and institutional dialogue between all major powers, such as the United States, China, Japan, India, Australia, the European Union and Russia. In general, the issue of the South China Sea is mainly related to disputes over the sovereignty of the South China Sea with the participation of the United States, some countries in Southeast Asia, and China. The study analyzes the conflict in the South China Sea through the balance of forces in the region, and the US and China's position on regional hegemony.

COUNTER-TERRORISM COOPERATION IN THE ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM (ARF) FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF INDONESIA DEFENSE DIPLOMACY

<p>Terrorism is a threat that not only jeopardizes a country's security, but also the survival of ASEAN as a regional organization, the security of peace and stability, and the region's overall economic possibilities. This research aimed to examine the implementation of Counter-terrorism (CT) cooperation in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) from the perspective of Indonesia's defense diplomacy. The research method used was the qualitative method which is based on the combination of interviews and literature review regarding ASEAN’s or ARF’s Counter-terrorism cooperation and Indonesia’s defense diplomacy from the year 2015-2019. The findings showed that CT cooperation is less discussed in the mechanism of the ARF since the current focus of ARF is on Trafficking in Person (TIP) and threats of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN). Meanwhile, from the perspective of defense diplomacy, Indonesia has successfully initiated ARF Statement on Preventing and Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism Conducive to Terrorism (VECT) with Australia and New Zealand in 2019. However, it is undeniable that CT cooperation through the ARF mechanism remains difficult to achieve due to several obstacles, including the differences of national interests and legal framework, the principle of non-interference, and the existence of mutual distrust between participating countries.</p>

CYBER COOPERATION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE ASEAN REGIME

<div><p class="Els-history-head">The COVID-19 pandemic has a given significant impact on both economics and internet-based digital services in Southeast Asia. It also applied to cross-border nontraditional security issues such as cyber-attacks that evolve continuously. The complexity of prevention acts towards cyber threats in Southeast Asia is quite complicated. Therefore, the ASEAN countries should form strong cooperation due to many anonymous and impromptu attacks. This research aims to analyze cyber cooperation within the ASEAN framework. The method applied in this article is the qualitative method, by accumulating data through earlier literature and studies. The outcome of this analysis shows the mechanism to perform cyber cooperation is through the ASEAN regional forum known as ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum) as the organizer of ASEAN countries' interactions in eliminating cyber-attacks. This research gives conclusions that the proposed mechanism should be flexible, multi-dimensional, and taking accounts from the economics point of view. </p></div>

Maritime security cooperation within the ASEAN institutional framework: a gradual shift towards practical cooperation

How does ASEAN fare in addressing maritime security problems? This paper examines the shifting character of maritime security cooperation in Southeast Asia. In doing so, this paper looks at the outcomes of three maritime security-oriented fora that exist within the ASEAN regional framework: the ASEAN Regional Forum, the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting, and the ASEAN Maritime Forum. By compiling and analysing data on the forms and frequency of existing cooperative activities from 2003 gathered from publicly available sources, this paper finds that maritime security cooperation among ASEAN members continue to be largely dialogue-based, with few instances of practical cooperation. By comparing the three fora, this paper argues that the organisational design of these forums tends to affect the forms of cooperation. This paper concludes that despite ASEAN showing progress in adopting practical security cooperation, there remain hurdles in achieving regional maritime security.

Diplomasi Pertahanan Di Laut Cina Selatan: Solusi Strategis (Defense Diplomacy in the South China Sea: Strategic Solution)

China's reclamation and infrastructure development in the South China Sea area poses a threat to countries around the region, including Malaysia. China also carried out illegal actions that violated state borders around the South China Sea, one of which was the maneuver of the Chinese air force inside Malaysia's sovereign territory on June 1, 2021. One of Malaysia's steps in dealing with this problem is to use defense diplomacy efforts, both bilateral and multilateral. Bilaterally, Malaysia can cooperate with Vietnam to strengthen maritime security, which is expected to be potential bilateral cooperation to reduce disputed claims in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, within the framework of multilateral cooperation, Malaysia can maximize existing cooperation forums such as through the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Plus Three (APT), East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM), and ADMM-Plus. In dealing with problems in the South China Sea region, Malaysia has the pillars of a national defense strategy, namely concentric deterrence, comprehensive defense, and credible partnerships.

Diplomasi Pertahanan Malaysia di Laut China Selatan: Isu dan Tantangan (Malaysia's Defense Diplomacy in the South China Sea: Issues and Challenges)

The South China Sea dispute has escalated since China claimed 80% of the South China Sea area. This is in conflict with the interests of many countries, one of which is Malaysia. China's claims regarding Malaysia's EEZ area that can endanger Malaysia's national interests. In addition, the United States is also involved in this region and threats to Malaysia come from all sides. This can be a threat to Malaysia's national interest Malaysia is a small country that is building its military strength and relies heavily on trade. In overcoming this threat in the South China Sea, Malaysia seeks to increase mutual trust with related countries, especially China and Malaysia as major countries involved in the SCS region. Malaysia is also consistent in carrying out its foreign policyand actively promotes security in the South China Sea with ASEAN through ASEAN Plus One, ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEANDefense's Minister Meeting/ASEAN Defense's Minister Meeting-Plus (ADMM/ADMM-Plus) and track II workshops. ASEAN has the same view, which isnot agreeing to China's claims in the South China Sea.

Creating Strategic Opportunities: The Concept and Practice of China-ASEAN Security Cooperation

The cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) began with the establishment of dialogue relations between the two sides after the ending of the Cold War. In 1994, when the ASEAN Regional Forum was established, China was one of the founding members, marking the beginning of formal security cooperation between China and ASEAN. The decision to shift to cooperation/enhance willingness to cooperate was made by the two parties after taking stock of the international and regional situation and their respective interests in the wake of the collapse of the bipolar system. Security cooperation was driven by a consensus on seizing, creating and maintaining strategic opportunities; or more specifically, by taking advantage of development opportunities and striving to maintain regional stability in difficult situations, thus creating a peaceful and amicable strategic regional context for sustainable development. The core concept of China-ASEAN security cooperation is developmental peace, with the norms of cooperation being the ASEAN way, cooperative security, the new security concept and the Asian security concept. In practice, China-ASEAN security cooperation covers three dimensions—strategic stability, management and control of high tension issues, and practical cooperation. New opportunities and challenges are emerging in the new era for China-ASEAN security cooperation. Fundamentally speaking, the two sides need to strive for the goal of building an ASEAN community and a China-ASEAN community with a shared future and to properly coordinate the strategic positioning of the long-term core interests of both parties.

The South China Sea Conflict and Security Cooperation in ASEAN Waters

The study aims to analyze how ASEAN acts to keep the region from conflicts over the South China Sea. The South China Sea conflict is a conflict that has a major impact on the ASEAN region; it is influenced by the territorial waters owned by several countries in ASEAN according to the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1982. China’s unilateral claim in 2012 was the beginning of ASEAN’s concerns over the security and stability around the South China Sea and ASEAN waters. This article focuses on ASEAN’s response in response to China’s moves after unilateral claims and the establishment of military fleets around the Spratly and Paracel islands. The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on 2018 is an important response for ASEAN in the face of maritime security threats. Establishment of policy strengthening security cooperation will have a significant impact in the development of stability in the South China Sea region, where the situation in the region worsen with the increasing number of actors involved in the conflict. The findings obtained from this paper aim to explain the analysis of ASEAN schemes to safeguard the territorial waters around the South China Sea.

INDIA’S FOREIGEN POLICY: A TRANSFORMATION FROM ‘LOOK EAST’ TO ‘ACT EAST’ POLICY

India’s look east policy it did not start in 1990 but it is existed long before India’s relation with eastern neighboring countries since the 12th and 13th century, this is the first phase and second phase when the British comes in India, they give strong strategic dimension by the British empire in India, during the second phase when India become independent, Nehru did the third phase by focusing on east Asia as an important part of India’s policy for Asian region. Nehru's vision of closer ties with the east was shaped by the strength of India’s geopolitical proximity of historical experiences. Cultural identity, economic interest, and common strategic concerns in relation to the countries of the east. The vast stretch of Indian ocean and its economic strategic significance in links with eastern neighbors was not lost on Nehru and his associates since 1992, India started giving importance to South and South East Asian Countries in order to expand its trading activities. These countries have been considered as important trading destinations besides the U.K. and other European countries. The Government of India has started taking serious steps towards promoting Look East Policy. India has developed various bilateral and multilateral trade relations with these countries. The bilateral trade relations Indo-china, Indo-Myanmar and Indo-Sri Lanka and multilateral trade relations with India and South East Asian countries through BCIM, BIMSTEC, SAFTA, ASEAN and ASEAN Regional Forum are significant. Geographically these South East Asian countries are connected continentally with the North Eastern States with maximum of their borders sharing with these countries. In order to take the maximum advantage of India’s Look East Policy, there is a need to bring all round development of these North Eastern States.

Enhancing Bilateral Cooperation: Indonesia-Russia Defense Relations

This research aims to elaborate further on Indonesia and Russia bilateral cooperation by utilizing defense relations in the Southeast Asia region. Indonesia’s defense cooperation with Russia is a strategy of sustaining foreign and defense policy instruments abroad to achieve interests and protect national sovereignty. This study uses a descriptive analysis of qualitative approach, and done through literature-based relating to the problems that arise. Additionally, journals, related documents, and websources are also used as supporting data. It employs neorealism approach in understanding bilateral defense relations. Thus, by strengthening Indonesian defense diplomacy, how Indonesia national interests is able to pursue closer defense cooperation with Russia, and how this collaborationcontributes to Indonesian defense diplomacy regionally in encountering external threat. However, through the ASEAN Defense Ministerial Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum, Indonesia’s defense diplomacy utilized strategy which aim to generating mutual confidence, and reducing potential threats that can arise from the external threat. Indonesia, so far, has utilized its defense diplomacy by intensifying defense cooperation with Russia to foster a sense of mutual trust and enhancement effort in national defense capabilities to anticipate any potential external security threats. Indonesia’s effort to enhance its regional power reputation for implementing foreign and defense policy at the international level, particularly at upgrading its national defense system. This research revealed that by strengthening economic cooperation and defense diplomacy, Indonesia would secure its defense cooperation with Russia and vice versa. As the most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia, 3rd world largest democraciesand significant regional power, intentionally has a strategic interest in maintaining peace and stability.