ASEAN
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SE ASIA: A ‘EURO-LIKE’ CURRENCY?
The Case for a common Asean Currency
Bangkok Post, Sep 29, 2022 (Also posted at The Jakarta Post) – ….It would be pegged to gold, with the intention of creating a currency that replaces the US dollar as the medium of regional trade and investment.
Why the push for a common currency in Asean? All we need to do Is look at Europe….
Get Ready for the AEC
ASEAN must deepen integration and stay united to tackle US tariffs, Malaysia says
ABC News, May 24, 2025 – Southeast Asian nations must accelerate regional economic integration, diversify their markets and stay united to tackle the fallout from global trade disruptions resulting from sweeping U.S. tariff hikes, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said Sunday…..
ASEAN unsuccessfully sought an initial meeting with the U.S. as a bloc. When U.S. President Donald Trump last month announced a 90-day pause on the tariffs, countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam swiftly began trade negotiations with Washington.
ASEAN urged to act as one in U.S. tariff talks to maximise leverage
UNITED ASEAN WOULD STRENGTHEN BLOC’S BARGAINING POWER
The Vibes (Malaysia), May 6, 2025 – A collective ASEAN approach to negotiations over US tariff measures would provide the 10-member bloc with far greater leverage than individual countries acting alone, according to regional analysts.
Numismatic News, Dec 29, 2020 – The world has its newest and largest trading block. Along with this new trading block comes the possibility the 15 countries involved may consider using a common currency.
On November 15 Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea joined the 10 Association of Southeastern Asian Nations or ASEAN members to form the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership….
Common currency proposals on the drawing board that have yet to become a reality include the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa, West African Economic and Monetary Union, Gulf Cooperation Council, East African Community, Caribbean Single Market and Economy, South African Customs Union, Southern African Development Community, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, Union of South American Nations, Economic Community of Central African States, Economic Community of West African States, African Economic Community, Union States of Russia and Belarus, Arab League, and the Eurasian Economic Union….
ASEAN harmonization of technical standards on health supplements – An industry perspective
RAPS (Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society), June 28, 2021 – Although it is recognized there is much to be done, harmonization of the proposed 10 sets of technical standards is expected to be a major first step forward in enabling regulatory submissions and reviews of health supplements in the ASEAN region.
ASEAN ministers call for unity in face of Trump’s tariffs
Bangkok Post, May 18, 2025 – Participants of the Asean Ministerial Caucus, which was held on the sidelines of the 2025 Apec Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting in South Korea, called on the bloc to remain united in the face of global economic volatility, according to Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan.
DOT calls for unified ASEAN visa
SEAMLESS TRAVEL ACROSS SOUTHEAST ASIAN BLOC
The Department of Tourism (DOT) is advocating for an ASEAN-wide visa to allow seamless travel across Southeast Asia.
At the SKIFT Asia Forum 2025 held in Bangkok on May 15, Tourism secretary Christina Garcia Frasco underscored the potential of a unified ASEAN visa, likening it to the Schengen visa in Europe and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) visa in the Middle East.
NST Leader: Asean common market
“FREE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE MAY BE A STUMBLING BLOCK”
New Straits Times, May 8, 2025 – Taken individually, each Asean member’s population doesn’t form a “market” in the serious sense of the word, but collectively it’s a huge one.
But first it must become “common”, not in the sense of the European Union’s model but the Asean way. Because no member of Asean will want to give up its sovereignty like the members of the EU did. Instead, the bloc has opted for consensus….
But for the market to be common, there must be free flow of goods, people, investments and capital across the region. Free flow of goods, investments and capital are easier to agree on but free movement of people may be a stumbling block.
ASEAN, China, and GCC cooperation will boost global stability and growth: Experts
RESPONSE TO RECENT U.S. TARIFF POLICY
MSN | Xinhua (China), May 24, 2025 – Cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will unlock immense potential for multilateral cooperation across sectors and inject stability into the world economy, analysts said ahead of an inaugural joint summit for the three parties….
Julia Roknifard, a senior lecturer at Taylor’s University in Malaysia, said China is an anchor for ASEAN-GCC cooperation…. The expert called the trilateral cooperation platform a “Golden Triangle” of resources, manufacturing and consumers, which will continue to power the global economy despite severe trade disruptions due to recent U.S. tariff policy.
China, ASEAN finish talks to forge stronger free-trade deal amid US tariff war threat
South China Morning Post, May 22, 2025 – China has negotiated an updated free-trade deal with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) bloc, strengthening Beijing’s standing in the region amid ongoing trade tensions with the United States….
Despite the 90-day truce announced by Beijing and Washington on May 12, China has looked to strengthen economic ties with major trading partners, including Asean and the European Union.
ASEAN, Gulf leaders to meet in Malaysia as region seeks new investment lifeline
TO CUSHION BLOW FROM TRUMP TARIFFS
South China Morning Post, May 20, 2025 – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will hold their second summit on May 27, hoping to cushion the blow from global trade disruptions caused by US President Donald Trump’s tariff war.
Asean urged to weigh risks of siding with US over China in tariff war
South China Morning Post, April 29, 2025 – Zheng Yongnian, dean of the school of public policy at Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, said that supporting the re-industrialisation efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was not the ultimate goal of the United States….
“Some Asean countries would face stalled industrialisation and isolation by China if they choose to align more closely with Washington in the trade war, while the US would not assist them in achieving industrialisation,” Zheng cautioned.
Asean countries like Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand face a precarious balancing act as they negotiate trade terms with the Trump administration – either scale back lucrative economic ties with China, the bloc’s largest trading partner, or prepare for punishing US tariffs on critical exports.
How ASEAN can turn short-term tariff pain into long-term gain
COORDINATED REGIONAL RESPONSE TO TARIFFS, MORE INTEGRATED SINGLE ASEAN MARKET
South China Morning Post, April 27, 2025 – While the US tariffs will cause short-term pain, this presents an opportunity to bring Asean closer to an agreement on collaborative action that could lead to reduced import dependency and a more integrated single Asean market. As a bloc, Asean could become a price-setter and, in the long term, benefit consumers with lower prices. Malaysia’s proposal for a coordinated regional response to the tariffs, therefore, may serve as a precursor for Asean to negotiate from a position of collective strength.
Asean to team up on US tariffs
Bangkok Post, April 25, 2025 – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has agreed to work together to increase its members’ bargaining power in dealing with the United States’ tariff hikes, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said….
The premier said she raised the same issue with other leaders in Asean and they agreed that joining forces would make Asean a force to be reckoned with.
Indonesia bolsters ASEAN trade to counter US tariff
Tempo English (Jakarta, Indonesia), April 25, 2025 – In a strategic move to shield its economy from global uncertainties, Indonesia will reinforce trade with its Southeast Asian neighbors, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said. The push comes as US tariff policies threaten to dampen global trade volumes, forcing Indonesia to pivot toward regional markets to keep its economic engines running.
Speaking at a virtual press conference on April 25, Hartarto revealed that strengthening intra-ASEAN trade was a key agreement reached during recent talks with regional economic ministers. “This is our target because developing nations and regional blocs serve as a shock breaker in navigating the turbulence ahead,” he said.
REGIONAL MERCANTILISM:
ASEAN should expand to counter Trump’s tariffs
TO ASSERT ITSELF ON GLOBAL STAGE, DEEPEN ECONOMIC INTEGRATION WITHIN BLOC, FORGE COMMERCIAL LINKS WITH GCC, OTHERS
Taipei Times, April 20, 2025 – ASEAN chair, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, could still marshal the full power of the bloc to present a unified front and develop policy initiatives to help shield members from the economic disruption caused by Trump’s tariffs. This would be consistent with Anwar’s efforts as ASEAN chair to deepen economic integration within the bloc and forge closer commercial links with the Gulf Cooperation Council and other Asian economies….Here, ASEAN could take a page out of the EU’s playbook, despite not pursuing the same goal of an “ever closer union”; expansion as a way to enhance stability along its borders.
ASEAN MUST WORK FAST ON EU TRADE DEAL, SAYS ANWAR
IN LIGHT OF SWEEPING TARIFFS BY US
FMT (Malaysia), April 18, 2025 – Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says the European Union is looking to work fast on a free trade agreement with Asean in light of the sweeping tariffs announced by the US earlier this month.
Singapore PM calls for zero tariffs in ASEAN to take on Trump’s trade duties: ‘We are better resourced’
‘STRONGER ECONOMIC INTEGRATION AMONG ASEAN COUNTRIES IS ESSENTIAL’
Hindustan Times, April 17, 2025 – Amid escalating Donald Trump tariff threats and rising trade tensions, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday said stronger economic integration among ASEAN countries is essential, emphasising the need to address tariff barriers and enhance trade cooperation within the region.
“We should aim for 100% tariff elimination across the region and boost intra-ASEAN trade. We should further reduce non-tariff barriers to make it easier for businesses to operate across ASEAN….”
Speaking at the S Rajaratnam Lecture, Wong also called for accelerating the development of the ASEAN Power Grid.
Asean chief urges ‘boldly’ integrating region’s economies amid US tariff worries
SEEKS ‘URGENT AND COLLECTIVE ACTION’ TO ACCELERATE REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION
Inquirer.net (Philippines), April 10, 2025 – Asean must “act boldly” to accelerate regional economic integration as sweeping US tariffs leave much of the world caught in the middle of a devastating trade war, the bloc’s chief said Wednesday.
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which count on the United States as their main export market, were among those slapped with the toughest levies by President Donald Trump.
“Without urgent and collective action to accelerate intra-Asean economic integration and diversify our markets and partnerships, we risk ceding our place in a fractured and fast-evolving global economy,” Kao said.
ASEAN, UK senior officials review relations and discuss future plans
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, April 10, 2025 – ASEAN and the UK committed to enhancing collaboration on economic integration, digital economy, artificial intelligence, science, technology and innovation, financial services, green finance, supply chain resilience, energy transition, business-to-business partnerships and women economic empowerment.
ASEAN summit invites China, Gulf states amid tariffs threat
“ENSURING ASEAN’S STRATEGIC RELEVANCE IN A MULTIPOLAR WORLD”
DW (Germany), March 9, 2025 – The combined gross domestic product (GDP) of the Arab Gulf states, comprising the so-called Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), stood at around $2.1 trillion (€1.96 trillion) in 2023, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)….
ASEAN is one of the world’s fastest-growing economic regions, with a combined population of approximately 690 million. In 2023, its 10 member states reached total GDP of nearly $3.8 trillion….
ASEAN states unite for future economic stability
TARIFFS COULD PROMPT CHINESE FIRMS TO RELOCATE TO ASEAN MARKETS
Vietnam Investment Review, March 6 2025 – According to ASEAN Briefing, under consultancy firm Dezan Shira & Associates, a potential resurgence of tariffs could disrupt global supply chains, prompting Chinese firms to relocate production to ASEAN markets. This strategy would protect Chinese exports while boosting ASEAN’s role as a global manufacturing hub.
“However, ASEAN exporters, especially in electronics, textiles, and consumer goods, could face tariffs if perceived as conduits for Chinese-made products,” ASEAN Briefing said. “Vietnam’s electronics and textile exports, Malaysia’s semiconductor production, and Indonesia’s automotive parts sector may come under scrutiny. To avoid such risks, ASEAN economies must diversify export markets and strengthen regional trade agreements.”
SE ASIA – REGIONAL PROTECTIONISM:
Asean sees opportunity amid shifting trade dynamics
SOUTHEAST ASIA’S ASEAN BLOC IS TURNING INWARD
New Straits Times, Jan 16, 2025 – As global trade faces increasing uncertainty and shifting economic policies, Southeast Asia’s Asean bloc is turning inward to reinforce regional ties. Amid concerns over the impact of US tariffs and the ongoing fragmentation of the global economy, Asean member states are exploring deeper cooperation, creating new opportunities for growth and stability.
Why Malaysia-led ASEAN could go toe to toe with Trump
Asia Times, Jan 17, 2025 – With the imminent return of Donald Trump to the White House and intensifying superpower rivalry in the Indo-Pacific, the year ahead will be crucial for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its place in the global security spotlight….
ASEAN will increasingly struggle to effectively “hedge” between competing powers as both the US and China press for advantage in the vital and strategic region….
The incoming Trump administration, however, will likely have little patience for ASEAN dithering or any hint of China-friendly opportunism dressed up as diplomatic “hedging.
ASEAN’s second renaissance is now
“IN A WORLD INCREASINGLY DIVIDED INTO COMPETING BLOCS”
The Japan Times, Dec 26, 2024 – Next year heralds a pivotal chapter for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with Malaysia assuming the chair. In a world increasingly divided into competing blocs, Malaysia is advancing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, a strategic long-term plan that aims to guide the region’s growth and prosperity over the next two decades….
Malaysia’s stewardship of ASEAN also aims to bolster outward-facing alliances. Engaging more deeply with ASEAN+ partners — China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand — as well as emergent global groupings like BRICS+, is essential. Upcoming engagements, including a summit with the Gulf Cooperation Council and China, signal ASEAN’s intent to expand economic and strategic networks beyond its immediate borders.
ASEAN ‘best economic opportunity’ over medium term, European businesses say
Business World, Sep 24, 2024 – More than half of European businesses surveyed see ASEAN as providing the best economic opportunities over the next five years, the European Union-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) said.
“Over the 10 years that the Council has conducted the survey, our respondents regularly report that ASEAN is the region of best economic opportunity, and they see it as a region where they intend to increase investment and trade,” EU-ABC Chairman Jens Rübbert said in the report.
“The continued absence of a region-to-region FTA [free trade agreement] between the EU and ASEAN is perceived as a disadvantage….”
It added that to realize the potential in the ASEAN market, ASEAN policymakers must work on removing existing barriers, enhancing economic integration, and forging stronger ties with the EU through comprehensive trade agreements.
US itself pushing Asean closer to China
Express Tribune (Pakistan), Aug 25, 2024 – This affinity is also reflected in the people, academics and researchers of the ASEAN countries who consider China as an invaluable ally, thanks to their strong trade ties with Beijing, growing people-to-people exchanges and benefits brought about by the projects of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) such as the China-Laos Railway, Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway and Malaysia’s East Coast Rail that promote regional integration and serve as a catalyst of growth for regional economies and domestic tourism and industry….
What’s more, the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 envisages building a highly cohesive, integrated and resilient economy. In the coming years, these security architectures as well as the West’s ambivalent attitude toward ASEAN, return of Donald Trump to the White House and labeling of China as “greatest strategic challenge” will likely widen the gap between ASEAN and the US, accelerating the trend of a robust ASEAN-China relationship.
ASEAN On Positive Trajectory To Become World’s Fourth Largest Economy By 2030 — ASEAN Official
BERNAMA (Malaysia), Aug 8, 2024 – ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Deputy Secretary-General Satvinder Singh said this includes its gross domestic product (GDP) which soared 51 percent to US$3.8 trillion last year versus US$2.5 trillion (US$1=RM4.47) in 2015….
What’s important is we are one of the very few regions where our trade is almost as large as our GDP (and) the biggest component of trade is not our trade with China or the United States, but our intra-Asian trade, which is somewhere close to US$800 trillion.
“What we are trying to say is, as much as we have grown as the largest trade component, we have also grown a lot in terms of our trade with the rest of the world,” he said.
This is the uniqueness of economies within the ASEAN bloc, unlike the European Union or the North American Free Trade Area where “they like to trade with each other.”
Japan commits to ASEAN power grid project to counter China
Nikkei Asia, July 2, 2024 – The Japanese government will offer financial assistance to domestic companies, including Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO), for an inter-island power transmission project in Indonesia. The move is part of Tokyo’s efforts to become a player in Southeast Asia’s grid development as China flexes its economic muscle in the region.
ASEAN’s ‘Schengen Visa’: Closer to Reality?
Fragomen, June 26, 2024 – In recent months, much has been made of Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s proposal for a six-nation regional visa, which has perhaps drawn premature comparisons to the much more established Schengen Area visa in Europe.
The proposal would see a joint visa program between the nations that make up Mainland Southeast Asia, namely Thailand and Malaysia ( with these two countries alone drawing in more than 50% of the visitors to the region in 2023), Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar.
While the initiative is certainly an ambitious one, the implementation of such a supranational visa within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is likely to encounter several hurdles.
Under Srettha’s proposal, like the Schengen Visa, tourists would be able to travel from one country to another (within the six-member bloc) using the same visa or visa status.
Time for a new ASEAN way
Asia Times (Hong Kong), September 10, 2012 – ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] would be more effective if member states were willing to surrender a measure of sovereignty over certain international affairs. A supranational organization whose authority is legally binding would provide the teeth necessary for ASEAN to act when parties are in general agreement.
ASEAN Planning First Joint Military Drills With Eye on China
VOA, June 22, 2023 – Amid regional tensions with China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is planning its first joint military drill, finalizing on Thursday the location in Indonesia’s South Natuna Sea, according to the Indonesian military….
The site was moved because several ASEAN member nations are in territorial disputes with China over the resource-rich South China Sea, according to Reuters.
‘One Asean stand may stop China’
China Pushes ASEAN to Deeper Integration
Manila Times, Aug 2, 2015 – There is a chance that China will stop its island-building spree in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) and other areas if all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Japan agree to issue a united stand against Beijing’s sea activities, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said…. The dispute grew increasingly tense in recent years with the Philippines at the forefront of accusing China of “bullying” in asserting its claim to the South China Sea, a crucial lane and fishing ground also believed to hold vast mineral resources.
Integrating financial Asia – By Xiao Gang, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Bank of China, China Daily, Dec. 16, 2011 – It is encouraging that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is progressing on an ambitious plan to build up an integrated economic community by 2015.
China’s ‘aggressiveness’ is drawing ASEAN closer – Deutsche Welle (Germany) May 13, 2014 – Growing tensions over maritime disputes with China dominated the latest ASEAN Summit. But Beijing’s aggressive tactics in the region are only making the ten-member group more cohesive, analyst Ernest Bower tells DW.
Southeast Asia Launches Huge Trade Bloc
Group’s Goals Mirror European Union’s 1950s-era Forerunner
Wall Street Journal, Dec 29, 2015 – Ten Southeast Asian nations start an ambitious, U.S.-backed experiment on Thursday: integrating their economies in a bid to bring more global sway and prosperity to the region’s 622 million citizens…. Over time, the countries, all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, plan to boost economic ties by further lowering tariffs and allowing a freer flow of labor, services and capital across a region stretching 3,900 miles between the Pacific and Indian oceans…. The group’s goals mirror the European Union’s 1950s-era forerunner, another geopolitical bloc whose members suffered decades of strife before uniting. As in Europe, fuller integration could take decades.
VIDEO: BLOC HEADS (2013) Part 3 of 10 ASEAN (SE Asia) GCC (Arab Gulf)
Asean a collective security organization?
U.N. Vision: Global System with Regional Defense Organizations:
Manila Times, Feb 19, 2016 – Although its name gives no hint of it, Asean was envisioned to have an exclusively economic orientation. The world however woke up to its immense potentials as a regional body for its work in the political and security area, for the critical role it played in resolving the Kampuchean crisis…. But Asean leaders at their first Summit in Bali in 1976 overruled Asean becoming a collective defense organization…. Actually, the original vision of the United Nations for world peace consists of a global collective defense system supported by regional collective defense organizations.
Asean may displace China as economic hub
‘Not Africa, not Latin America, not Europe, not US…. It’s Southeast Asia’
Inquirer (Philippines), Jan 21, 2016 – It’s bound to be an “evolution” than a “revolution” but the newly-created Asean Economic Community (AEC) is seen to become the “center of the universe” and replace what used to be a China-dominated Asian economic narrative, said a regional executive of American banking giant Citibank…. “It’s also very clear that the center of the universe suddenly becomes us, amongst all other areas, not Africa, not Latin America, not Europe, not US—they’ve got their own issues. It’s Southeast Asia,” Low said. “This is why I feel so positive and encouraged by the medium-term prospects of Asean.”
Media still disconnected from Asean Community
‘Asean Community is here, and it is real’
The Nation/Asia News Network | The Straits Times (Singapore), April 11, 2016 –
All along, the media had been zeroing in on their countries’ nation-building efforts – and neglecting to report on the five-decade-old process of community-building in the region….
Unlike other regional organisations in the world, including the much-emulated European Union, Asean attempted to integrate member states coming from completely different political and economic systems into one unit – without any pre-condition or grace period.
The community-building process to integrate all 10 Asean economies was not an event to be commemorated, as the media would like to portray. Instead, it has been a bumpy journey to integration since Asean’s birth, along a road dotted with potholes. So, lo and behold, the Asean Community is here, and it is real…. Given this reality, it is about time that journalists from all media platforms, traditional and digital, do their job to inform the public about opportunities and challenges in ways that enhance connectivity among their countries, institutions – and most importantly – the 625 million Asean citizens.
ASEAN needs Schengen-like system: top Thai business school head
EU model for ‘free movement of people’ throughout Southeast Asian nations
Nikkei Asian Review (Japan), May 3, 2016 – If Southeast Asian countries want to make their common market more effectively function as a pan-regional economy, they should accelerate the free movement of people, according to the head of the region’s top business school.
In an interview with the Nikkei Asian Review in late April, Dipak Jain, director of Sasin Graduate School of Business Administration at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, said, “ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) should install its own version of Schengen rules” to let people move freely within the region. Jain was referring to the European Union’s arrangement that allows member states’ nationals to cross each other’s borders without passport checks.
Asean must prepare a harmonised legal framework’
The Nation (Thailand), Nov 30, 2015
The Keynote opening address by Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol at the opening ceremony of the 5th Biennial Conference of the Asian Society of International Law, Grand Hall, Plaza Athenee Hotel, Bangkok, 26 November 2015
“….By the beginning of next year when all the three pillars of the Asean Community, namely, the Asean Economic Community, the Asean Political and Security Community and the Asean Socio-Cultural Community come into operation, all Asean member states must prepare for a more harmonised legal framework. The law concerning economic liberalisation, international trade and investment, movement of labour, and so on must get somewhat harmonised. At the same time to strengthen the other two pillars, Asean member states must strengthen the rule of law, respect for human rights and criminal justice system in order to create a stronger and more cohesive Asean society. The Asean community dynamism depends on how quickly Asean member states can adjust and harmonise their relevant legal framework.”
ASEAN to enhance border security along with EU, Interpol
Integrated security, criminal justice systems for ‘a borderless region’
Jakarta Post, Oct 21, 2015 – ASEAN is set to strengthen the region’s cooperation with the European Union (EU) and Interpol in managing border security to tackle transnational organized crime that has threatened the peace and stability of Southeast Asia. “This is an opportunity for ASEAN member states to strengthen our border management systems and develop better integrated criminal justice systems to address issues of crime related to migration,” said ASEAN deputy secretary-general Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee…. According to Interpol’s director of operational support and analysis, Michael O’Connell, …. law enforcement alone could not improve border management as it needed more comprehensive action, able to tackle transnational organized crime, especially when ASEAN aims to become a borderless region such as EU.
U.S. urges ASEAN unity on South China Sea ruling; warns China on reputation
Region-Building: United States worked hard to build up ASEAN
Reuters, April 28, 2016 – The ruling is widely expected to favor the Philippines and risks significantly raising regional tensions because China, although a signatory of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea under which the case is being heard, rejects the court’s authority to hear it.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken …. said the United States had worked hard to build up the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as an organization that “might feel some greater strength in numbers” to take on difficult issues like the South China Sea.
TPP: A Win For ASEAN, A Loss For WTO? – Analysis – Eurasia Review, Oct 12, 2015 – The effect of TPP on the ASEAN region will vary from country to country, due largely to the fact that only four of the 10 ASEAN nations are included in the TPP deal. Yet, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam – the ASEAN TPP members – are expected to be ‘winners’ as they get greater access to other markets, particularly the lucrative markets of the United States and Japan…. However, the TPP could cause a degree of trade diversion away from ASEAN’s non-TPP members, with rapidly growing economies such as Cambodia potentially losing business, as its biggest export destination is currently the US.
The TPP’s Impact on Asean – Establishment Post, October 12, 2015 – However, the TPP’s impact is just as significant for the Asean countries not in the agreement. Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines in particular will feel the competitive disadvantages for their exports …. Strengthening the AEC [ASEAN Economic Community] in the post-2015 era will also become more important, particularly as market access issues in these three countries have presented the most serious challenges for the AEC.
As the above two articles affirm, inter-regional agreements like the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) are designed to strengthen – not supersede or replace – existing regional blocs such as ASEAN.
‘ASEAN integration may bring misery to workers’
Manila Times, Jan 11, 2016 – With the integration, employers will have more leeway to pursue leaner and meaner operations, outsource jobs within and across borders and relocate production in the cheapest location,” he explained.
Asean region will need a regional Public Private Partnership Centre
New Straits Times, Nov 18, 2015 – The Asean region will need a regional PPP (Public Private Partnership) Centre to help countries with knowledge and expertise with the launch of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and other Chinese initiatives to fund infrastructure development…. HK Yong of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) said …. “Governments in Asean and Asia also don’t have the fiscal space to fund the projects. “We have to tap the private funds. Private funds such as the pension and insurance funds have only invested one per cent of the total US$80 trillion and mainly in developed countries,” he said
Government/private business partnerships are simply old-fashioned fascism. As competition among the world’s emerging regional blocs increases toward what Henry Kissinger called a “new mercantisim” of “competing regional units,” all of these blocs will take on the characteristics of fascist states.
Asean power grid integration on track: German expert
Tuesday, Oct 6, 2015 – “Just like how the European Union (EU) had experienced, more discussions will have to take place to harmonise and realise the policies given the different technical and regulatory system of each country. The EU took about two to three decades to largely integrate the power grid system”….
McCain seeks defense funding to aid Asean against China
Malaysian Insider, May 29, 2015 – Republican Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, made the proposal in an amendment to the 2016 US Defense Authorization Act expected to be passed later this year, entitled the South China Sea Initiative. It allows for the provision of up to US$425 million (RM1.55 billion) over five years to countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam for “equipment, supplies, training and small-scale military construction.”
Some members of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including US-ally the Philippines and fellow claimant Vietnam, have been vocal critics of Chinese actions in the South China Sea, but the group as a whole has been divided on the issue and reluctant to intervene.
Malaysia has proposed Asean Peacekeeping Force for regional stability – The Star (Malaysia), April 23, 2015 – Malaysia, as Chair of Asean, has proposed the setting up of an Asean Peacekeeping Force to deal with security issues in the region said Defence Minister Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein. “We have taken the initiative to propose the setting up of an Asean Peacekeeping Force under the auspice of the United Nations. “The proposal had received positive reactions from Asean member states,” he said.
Asean looks to African Union for peacekeeper model – Bangkok Post, March 16, 2015 – Defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will study the African Union’s model in their quest to set up an integrated peacekeeping force of the 10-member regional grouping, Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Monday. “African Union peacekeeping forces “go under the UN (flag), so why not Asean?”
Malaysia Wants an ASEAN Peacekeeping Force
The country has made the initiative a priority for its ASEAN chairmanship in 2015
The Diplomat, Feb 21, 2015 – Earlier this week, Malaysian defense minister Hishammuddin Hussein reiterated his country’s desire to establish an ASEAN peacekeeping force as the chair of the grouping this year.
TPP: A Win For ASEAN, A Loss For WTO? – Analysis – Tony Katigbak. Philippine Star, July 16, 2014 – Several months ago I came across an interesting news item in one of the leading newspapers that the Philippines is strongly pushing for a single-visa scheme for the ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). A lot like the Schengen Visa for the participating countries in Europe…. In order for something like this to work, ASEAN overall would have to be more unified….China has already admitted it does not want to deal with the ten member countries as a group but rather with each country individually. They also understand that dealing with us one on one makes it easier for them to force us into submission. Let’s not fall into that trap. Let us all stand together to protect what is rightfully ours. I think this would send a powerful message to China — and to the rest of the world — that we are collectively strong….
Asean to China: Stop raising tension at sea – Philippine Star, May 12, 2014 – President Aquino, for his part, pushed vigorously yesterday for the ASEAN member-countries’ full integration rather than promote the status quo amid challenges in the South China Sea…. “It is only natural that ASEAN seeks to engage more of the world in its pursuit of inclusive growth and integration. Perhaps the time has come to study ways on how best to do this efficiently – for instance, in engaging with others as regional blocs, instead of as individual nations,” Aquino said.
Asean must re-invent itself – Manila Standard (Philippines), July 19, 2014 – While Asean has done a lot to promote trade among its members, e.g., the visa-free arrangement among Asean members, current events in the East China Sea, however, require Asean not only to rethink its role as an economic fraternity, but to likewise re-invent itself as a collective force, perhaps even as a military alliance, to stop Beijing’s plans of converting that strategic maritime highway into a Chinese lake.
TPP: ‘Washington’s Attempt to Shape the Rules’ in ASEAN
Cambodia’s Hun Sen Slams ASEAN-Splitting TPP
The Diplomat, April 21, 2015 – Hun Sen’s tirade is quite puzzling and misleading – though he is hardly the only one with such a view…. TPP did not intentionally exclude specific countries as is sometimes mistakenly suggested – be it other ASEAN member states or China. Rather, these countries were not able to meet the high standards of the agreement currently, and so they could not be included at this time. As U.S. officials have repeatedly said, other nations are welcome to join the TPP once they are ready to do so – which is part of Washington’s attempt to shape the rules in the region in a way that encourages a race to the top rather than to the bottom.
BI looks to ASEAN banking integration framework – Jakarta Post, July 16, 2014 – Bank Indonesia (BI) says it is prioritizing the finalization of a banking integration framework for ASEAN member countries, targeted for completion this year…. as the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) was set to take effect in 2015.
ASEAN countries working towards Common Visa – Financial Express (India), Dec 12, 2014 – As proposed a few years ago, ASEAN member states are working towards the establishment of visa-free travel in the region for ASEAN nationals. A proposal for an ASEAN Common Visa for non-ASEAN nationals to facilitate business mobility and tourism is also working its way through the official channels.
House reso seeks single visa to ASEAN-member countries – GMA News (Philippines), Aug 27, 2014 – A resolution has been filed at the House of Representatives seeking to establish a single-visa scheme that would allow Filipinos to enter any of the 10 ASEAN-member countries. Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, co-author of House Resolution 1313, said their proposed scheme is similar to Europe’s unified visa system allowing non-ASEAN nationals to enter the Asian countries using a single visa, saving them time and resources in securing travel documents for each country of destination.
Japan to offer aid to nations in disputes with China – Boston Globe, May 31, 2014 – Saying that his nation will play a larger role in regional security, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan said Friday that his government will support Vietnam and other nations that have territorial disputes with China by providing patrol ships, training, and military surveillance equipment…. Referring to the Association for Southeast Asian Nations, Abe said, “Japan will offer its utmost support for efforts by Asean member countries to ensure the security of the seas and skies and rigorously maintain freedom of navigation.”
As Asia frets over China, warmer welcome likely for Japan PM’s push – Economic Times, May 29, 2014 – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s message of a bigger global security role for Japan when he speaks at a regional forum this week is likely to find a receptive audience as concerns grow in Asia about China …. Despite harsh memories of Japan’s wartime occupation of much of Southeast Asia, several countries in the region may view the message favourably because of China’s increasing assertiveness. “The ASEAN [Association of South East Asian Nations] countries which have disputes with China will support him,” said Malcolm Cook, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.
Asean is the next global factory – The Star (Malaysia), June 4, 2015 – The Asean Economic Community, which is likely to come to fruition by end of the year, would see the emergence of a single market with free movement of goods, services, investments and skilled labour. The economic zone, the report said, would connect the low-cost labour in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, cost-effective businesses in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, and sophisticated manufacturers in Singapore and Malaysia.
Hagel Warns Against Isolationism – Defense One, May 6, 2014 – [Defense Secretary] Hagel’s remarks come as a recent Wall Street Journal poll found Americans increasingly want their government focused more on domestic issues and less on foreign entanglements…. Pivoting to partnerships, the secretary said military personnel will continue to engage with foreign militaries, citing state National Guard’s long-term relations with specific countries, humanitarian assistance abroad, and deeper involvement in military institutions like NATO, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, and the Mideast’s Gulf Cooperation Council.
“Independence” from foreign entanglements is what globalist Chuck Hagel deviously brands as “isolationism,” but a nation can and should remain independent while maintaining full bilateral engagement with other nations.
Overt religious persecution in 8 of 10 Asean states, study finds – Malay Mail, May 1, 2015 – Blurring lines between religion and nationalism, weak rule of law and the politicisation of religion are primary factors fuelling religious persecution in member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and across the region, concluded a study commissioned by the Human Rights Resource Centre for Asean. Based on research conducted in all 10 member states between February and December last year, “Keeping the Faith: A Study of Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion” found varying degrees of overt religious persecution in eight Asean countries, with the exception of Singapore and Brunei.
Asean’s elusive integration – Inquirer (Philippines), May 4, 2014 – Asean [Assn. of SE Asian Nations] leaders in 2003 resolved to establish an Asean Economic Community (AEC) as a single production base and market by 2020. In 2007, this date was advanced to 2015…. Asean leaders’ AEC vision is weakened by a strong aversion for a diminished national sovereignty for the sake of deeper economic integration.
Asean Looks to Europe for Common Market Lessons – Wall Street Journal, October 19, 2012 – As the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations prepares to form an economic union, Europe’s experience can offer lessons — some positive, some more cautionary.
Strong case for ASEAN integration – The Star (Malaysia), June 3, 2012 – Despite the painful lessons from Europe, ASEAN nations are moving towards integration as a way to boost regional resilience against external shocks.
ASEAN sees new common market urgency amid EU woes – AsiaOne|AFP, Nov. 16, 2011 – The depth of the eurozone crisis and the risk of export markets evaporating is pushing Southeast Asia to speed up creating its potentially huge common market, officials said Wednesday.
EU, ASEAN and the prospect of regionalism – Jakarta Post, Nov. 14, 2011 – For many years, especially in the aftermath of the Cold War, the European Union (EU) was a source of inspiration. It inspired other countries around the world to embrace regionalism….Taking the EU as an example, other regional institutions such as ASEAN, NAFTA, MERCOSUR [UNASUR] and the African Union have become better organized and more legally binding over time.
Creating an Asean community – AsiaOne (Singapore), August 11, 2012 – Two thousand years ago, when the Roman Empire held sway, the proudest boast was Civis romanus sum (I am a Roman citizen). At the beginning of a New Asian Century, it is hoped that it would not be too ambitious to expect the peoples of Asean to one day proudly say in their own language, Saya warga Asean.
Asean urged to pursue reforms ahead of AEC – AsiaOne (Singapore), Feb. 25, 2012 – Asean countries will be required to reform laws and regulations to facilitate trade and investment growth within the region under the Asean Economic Community (AEC), which will come into effect in 2015, keynote speakers said at a conference yesterday.
US firms may shift some business from China to ASEAN – ABS-CBN News (Philippines) | Reuters, August 31, 2012 – According to AmCham Singapore, 92 percent of the executives surveyed said they were positive about investment opportunities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN – a regional grouping that comprises Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei.
Japan, ASEAN to unite on regional security ties: summit draft– Japan Times, Nov 19, 2013 – Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will express their resolve next month in Tokyo to bolster security ties for regional peace, with China’s growing maritime assertiveness in mind, a draft of their statement said Monday….On the economic front, the draft states Japan will help to establish an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015 by “strengthening connectivity and narrowing the development gaps” among ASEAN members, the draft said…
Japan looks for ASEAN backing on China at summit – The Economic Times (India), Dec 12, 2013 – “Supporting the framework of ASEAN — whose members take slightly different positions in relations with China and have different political systems — is also important for Japan,” Fujisaki said. The summit will issue a joint statement on the long-term “vision” on Japan-ASEAN cooperation in areas of security and economy, Jiji Press and other media have reported.
Japan targets ASEAN ties amid Chinese friction – Japan Times, July 15, 2012 – A senior Japanese diplomat in charge of Asian affairs said that ASEAN’s [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] growing collective influence in shaping a new regional order can no longer be disregarded and that working closely with the bloc will become strategically important, particularly in dealing with China’s maritime assertiveness.
Asean’s path to 2015 revealed – International Financial Law Review, November 30, 2012 –
The Asean [Assn of SE Asian Nations] is now working towards the establishment of regional economic integration, through the creation of an Asean Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. This will establish Asean as a single market and production base under which there will be freer flow of capital, goods, services, investment, and people throughout the region
East Asian Regionalism: End Of ASEAN Centrality? – Analysis – Eurasia Review, July 9, 2012 – China has announced that China, Japan and South Korea have agreed to begin negotiations in November on a Free Trade Agreement. The proposed pact, when concluded, will create one of the world’s biggest free trade areas as the three countries together account for 20 percent of world GDP and 19 percent of exports. The goal of an East Asia FTA (EAFTA) has long been mired in historical mistrust amongst the three former enemies, notwithstanding their growing ties. Their agreement to start formal talks for an FTA is a psychological breakthrough. Chinese analysts described it as a “milestone development”. How will this EAFTA affect Southeast Asia and should ASEAN be concerned?
Asia’s Next Axis – CAIJING Magazine (China), June 14, 2012 – But if the proposals discussed in Beijing last month are realized, the resulting FTA could surpass NAFTA in its degree of integration and importance to the world economy. In addition, the formation of a China-Japan-South Korea FTA would most likely trigger a chain-reaction. For example, the momentum could expand southward and stimulate ASEAN, which has bilateral FTAs with all three countries, to join the group. Such a turn of events would be equivalent to establishing the East Asia Free Trade Area, which the ASEAN+3 envisioned about a decade ago.
Exclusive: China eyes creation of ASEAN Bank – Reuters, Oct. 27, 2011 – After approval by the State Council, or cabinet, China would formally invite members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Japan and South Korea to each take a stake in the ASEAN Bank, said the sources, who have direct knowledge of the proposal….The 10-member ASEAN, ranging from resource-rich Indonesia to financial center Singapore, is planning a union by 2015 to become a single market and production base to compete with rising Asian powerhouses China and India.
Universal healthcare essential, Asean+3 health ministers say – The Nation (Thailand), July 7, 2012 – Asean and its key partners Japan, South Korea and China yesterday jointly decided to make universal health coverage an essential provision for the more than 2 billion people living in the region….All participating health ministers said they were committed to establishing an Asean+3 network on universal health coverage, as well as to share and collectively build a national as well as regional capacity to assess and manage an efficient health system that supports universal health coverage.
[ASEAN’s regional approach to universal healthcare is consistent with its statist participants such as China and Vietnam. It is also consistent with efforts in all of the geopolitical regions to harmonize regulations and infrastructure throughout their respective member nations to accommodate deeper regional integration. In this context, Obama’s government healthcare system would more easily integrate with Canada’s.]
ASEAN: Chartering human rights – Jakarta Post, July 25, 2012 – The inherent absurdity that a document can simultaneously be open for consultation but cannot be seen in full until it is no longer possible to change it appears to be lost on ASEAN. The most likely explanation of this chronic allergy to transparency is that there are some regressive elements in the declaration.
Asean’s Tricky Human Rights Charter – Irrawaddy News Magazine (Coverage of Burma via Thailand), June 18, 2012 – ….Even Vietnam, which shows disdain for any human rights activity at home, has applied to become a member of UN Human Rights Council….Being Asean, all proposed rights protections can only be carried out in accordance with national and regional particularities under national law. This, of course, provides room for abuses by undemocratic members.
North Korea set to attend regional ASEAN meeting – Phnom Penh Post (Cambodia), June 8, 2012 – North Korea would attend the ASEAN Regional Forum in Phnom Penh next month, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said yesterday….Cambodia is in a unique position to bring both North Korea and China to the table at the forum, maintaining strong relationships with both countries, each of which welcomed King Father Norodom Sihanouk after he was deposed in 1970.
ASEAN steps up defence cooperation – VietNamNet Bridge, Feb. 22, 2012 – ASEAN senior defence officials are meeting in Phnom Penh to draft a declaration on increasing defence cooperation towards the realisation of the ASEAN Political Security Community by 2015.
Harmonization:Timely Discussion On Harmonisation Of Asean Laws In Bali – Bernama (Malaysia), Feb. 23, 2012 – “Harmonising laws does not seek to unify all laws but merely to find some common ground for cooperation within ASEAN legal and judicial framework.”
TO WHAT END, ASEAN? – Jakarta Post, May 23, 2012 – While it is arguably easier to put up and sustain the UN, putting up ASEAN, just like putting up the EU, is a more realistic path in creating institutions from the bottom up if our dream is to create wider, more prosperous and peaceful international communities. “The hope for the foreseeable future lies, not in building up a few ambitious central institutions of universal membership [like the UN] and general jurisdiction as was envisaged at the end of the last war, but rather in the much more decentralized, disorderly and pragmatic process of inventing or adapting institutions of limited jurisdiction and selected membership to deal with specific problems on a case-by-case basis….In short, the ‘house of world order’ will have to be built from the bottom up rather than from the top down. It will look like a great ‘booming, buzzing confusion,’ to use William James’ famous description of reality, but an end run around national sovereignty, eroding it piece by piece, will accomplish much more than the old-fashioned frontal assault.” Richard N. Gardner, ‘The Hard Road to World Order,’ Foreign Affairs Journal (Council on Foreign Relations), April 1974, p. 558
BETRAYING HUMAN RIGHTS, ASEAN STYLE – The Nation (Thailand), May 14, 2012 – The ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] Human Rights Declaration is supposed to serve as the “road-map for regional human rights development” in ASEAN for years to come – according to ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan. Has ASEAN finally transformed itself from the so-called “club of dictators” famous for its closed-door meetings to a rights-respecting grouping? Shouldn’t this be cause for a celebration? Sorry – not so fast – think again.
Human Rights: ASEAN, Laos and Vietnam: no to human rights and religious freedom because they create ‘chaos’ – AsiaNews, Feb. 18, 2012 – Among the limitations, there is also the control of the “practice of a cult or a religion” that must comply with the laws of a nation in which “the rights of the state ‘outweigh’ freedoms and rights of individuals.” This is what emerges from a draft of the ASEAN Declaration on Human Rights, drafted in January during the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission…
ASEAN Secretariat to host int`l dialog on democracy – MCOT (Thailand), April 28, 2012 – The Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy is a platform for engagement among regional organisations on democracy. Apart from the ASEAN Secretariat, other participating organisations include the African Union [AU], European Union [EU], League of Arab States [Arab League], Pacific Islands Forum [PIF], Organization of American States, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation [SAARC] with International IDEA as the facilitator.
[And what wonderful bastions of freedom they all are! Their “democracy” is the mandate of the controlled masses motivated by created crises that manipulate populations to demand even more government control].
Southeast Asia’s road to democracy is long and bleak – The Nation (Thailand), May 8, 2012 – Asean has not been successful in bringing about a uniform shift toward democracy as it currently had only two member countries that could claim to be democracies: Indonesia and the Philippines….Asean is not the only regional organisation facing such issues. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), for example, has never discussed democracy in its meetings. “Strangely enough, we have never talked about democracy even though one of our members is India, the largest democracy in the world,” said Saarc’s secretary-general, Ahmad Saleem…
Jakarta to develop ‘ASEAN diplomatic zone’ – Jakarta Post, May 29, 2012 – “….We realize that a specific area for diplomatic matters is needed, thus, with the presence of the ASEAN Secretariat here [in Kebayoran Baru], we think that this area should be developed,” Izhar Chaidir, the head of spatial planning for the Jakarta Development Planning Agency, said on Monday. Jakarta has long been considered the informal capital of ASEAN, a geopolitical and economic organization of 10 nations in the Southeast Asian region…
ASEAN stock exchanges eye cross-border trading in 2012 – Reuters, Dec. 3, 2011 – The 10-country Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) wants to establish an economic community modelled on the European Union by 2015 and the market venture will support one of its aims, allowing capital to move more freely between states.
Indonesia promotes unified visa system for ASEAN – People’s Daily (China), Jan. 19, 2012 – Indonesia is also considering negotiating with other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to accelerate the implementation of a unified visa system for all ASEAN members. Once all ASEAN countries join the system, Chinese tourists will only need one visa to visit the entire region.
Get ready: Asean economic community is coming in 2015 – AsiaOne, Jan. 9, 2012 – “We cannot escape the AEC [Asian Economic Community]. Even if we don’t want to work in other Asean [Association of South Asian Nations] countries, citizens from those countries will certainly come to work in Thailand.”
REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Asean’s power play – Bangkok Post, November 12, 2012 – For Asean, the creation of smart grids and the Asean Power Grid (APG) are an opportunity for the region, and it should learn from the mistakes of other regions such as Europe.
High-speed rail network to link Asean countries – The Nation (Thailand), August 17, 2012 – By assigning Pansak to spearhead the Bt400-billion high-speed train schemes in Thailand, the government is playing a crucial role in pushing for fast-track implementation of Asean connectivity schemes, which cover highways, railways and other modes of transportation. It is hoped that the transport infrastructure will eventually be designed to cover the entire 10-country regional grouping, which has a combined population of 600 million.
[Similar regional infrastructure projects are underway in North America, SAARC, the Arab League, the GCC, the African Union, and UNASUR. The Keystone pipeline is also part of the North American infrastructure project.]
Construction of railway linking ASEAN finishes – China Daily, August 14, 2012 – Construction workers on Tuesday laid the last piece of a railway that will link Southwest China’s Yunnan Province with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.
Asean Expected To Integrate Power Grids By 2020 – Bernama (Malaysia) Jan. 27, 2012 – A Thai energy expert has foreseen that 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), including Thailand, will integrate their electricity grids by 2020 for regional power….
Gov’t eyes Asean power projects – Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 23, 2012 – The Philippine government has started preliminary talks with its neighbors on plans to participate in a regional energy integration through two significant projects in the pipeline—the Asean Power Grid and the Trans-Asean Pipeline Project.
From Pacific power to partner – ChinaDaily, Nov. 30, 2011 – The engine of Asian growth is the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) members, or ASEAN+1….It is inevitable that CAFTA will evolve into a major regional trading block (and even be joined by Japan and South Korea in a proposed “East Asian Free Trade Area”) along the lines of the European Union and speak with an increasing voice in international economic forums.
TPP: A Win For ASEAN, A Loss For WTO? – Analysis – Malaysia Star, April 19, 2012 – Asean should face the reality of the borderless world of terrorism and that terror networks cover more than one country, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Seri Muhyiddin Yassin said….”Regional forums on security and defence serves as an important mechanism that will enhance the collective capability of Asean member states and dialogue partners to swiftly and effectively respond to the threats, and in turn strengthen regional security cooperation,” he said at a forum here.
ASEAN, ADB launch biggest ever infrastructure fund – Philippine Information Agency, May 6, 2012 – The 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) has launched its largest financing initiative….The ASEAN Infrastructure Fund will finance the development of road, rail, power, water and other critical infrastructure needs, which are estimated at about $60 billion a year. “This is a watershed moment for ASEAN nations working together to finance infrastructure projects that will boost trade, foster economic growth and create more job opportunities for the half a billion people who call ASEAN home,” said Rajat Nag, Managing Director General of ADB.
HARMONIZAION OF REGULATIONS
ASEAN Ucits type passports take two steps closer to coming into existence – Opalesque, October 30, 2012 – Angelyn Lim of Dechert’s Hong Kong office has reported on developments in establishing an ASEAN funds passport, and most recently highlighted the news that Thailand and Singapore are leading the way in establishing a Ucits type fund passport across the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN)
Philippines supports unified ASEAN visa – Rappler, September 27, 2012 – To entice more tourists to visit the Philippines, the Department of Tourism is supporting the move for a unified visa for foreigners traveling to countries that are part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
ECONOMIC, MONETARY INTEGRATION
Standardized banking rules for Asean pushed – Philippine Daily Inquirer, November 13, 2012 – BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said that under the plan, a bank in one Asean country would be allowed to operate in another member-country under the same terms and conditions that applied to local banks.
Asean framework will also allow local banks to expand regionally – The Star (Malaysia), November 9, 2012 – However, he believes the potential entry of banks from other Asean member countries into Malaysia will increase competition in the industry in the future.
Asean Central Banks Close To Launching Framework For Banking Sector Integration, Says Zeti – Bernama (Malaysia), November 7, 2012 – The Asean central banks, which endorsed the Asean Financial Integration Framework in 2011, are in the final stages to launch the framework for banking sector integration, said Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
Asean regional integration heightens competition among insurers, banks – The Philippine Star, October 30, 2012 – By 2015, the country’s insurance industry will be competing for the thin local market against its counterparts from the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean).
ASEAN, UN to take on world conflicts – Jakarta Post, September 21, 2011 – In response to ASEAN’s efforts in conflict resolution, Indonesia Defense University ASEAN expert Bantarto Bandoro said it was time now for the regional grouping to establish a peacekeeping force as mandated by the UN Charter.