Tensions between the US and China have threatened to strike an overbearing influence on the ASEAN bloc, while in its own backyard, member states have had different approaches to resolving the Myanmar crisis.
JAKARTA: In a world fraught with geopolitical uncertainty, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations must be proactive and not avoid taking collective positions on issues, or it could risk losing its relevance, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday .
Speaking during a retreat session with fellow leaders at the ASEAN Summit, he outlined how ASEAN centrality must be manifested consistently in its positions, actions and policies and be based on a “unity of purpose and action”. As global superpowers de-couple their economies and become more assertive, the bloc’s passive, consensus-based “ASEAN Way” that is rooted in the principle of non-interference cooperation through lengthy dialogue has sometimes been criticised as ineffective.
“The solution is not to remain passive and avoid taking positions on all issues. Otherwise, ASEAN will lose its relevance. We have to be prepared to engage all sides actively, in mutually beneficial ways,” he said.PM Lee to attend 43rd ASEAN summit in Jakarta, with Myanmar crisis and China's new map under the spotlightMr Lee pointed to the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific as one platform of doing so, noting that it has been supported by several ASEAN dialogue partners.
“We should build on these to launch tangible cooperation projects under the AOIP’s priority areas,” he said. Most ASEAN members decided not to attend these talks, and the bloc’s foreign ministers later stressed that the consensus remains the main peace plan for resolving the Myanmar crisis.
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