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1. U.S. Engagement with ASEAN
- ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute
- Chapter
- Additional Information
1 U.S. EngagEmEnt WIth aSEan1 K. Kesavapany In November 2009 in Singapore, all the leaders of ASEAN met, for the first time in the organization’s history, the President of the United States, Barack Obama. That historic meeting was another important milestone in the ASEAN-U.S. relationship. The objective of this publication and of the workshop on which it is based is to illuminate the facts of those relations and the specific matter of the United States’ engagement with ASEAN and East Asia, for possible use by ASEAN in discussions at the subsequent ASEANU .S. Summit Meeting and at other ASEAN-U.S. policy forums. The topics of discussion cover several elements of this relationship, ranging from the U.S. military presence in the ASEAN region, cooperation on maritime security, and recent U.S. policy towards Myanmar, to progress on economic and technical cooperation. U.S. EngagEmEnt WIth aSEan Since the ASEAN and American leaders met in 2009, many in Southeast Asia have believed that this was a new beginning in the United States’ re-engagement with ASEAN. In recent years, K. Kesavapany although bilateral activities were carried out smoothly, some people in ASEAN faulted the United States for inattention to Southeast Asia at the highest leadership levels, noting that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s attendance at key meetings was very sporadic and that President George W. Bush was not a frequent visitor to the region. A “presidential presence” in the region was considered to be a necessary complement to diplomatic and trade initiatives.2 The United States’ re-engagement with ASEAN would allow Washington to become directly involved in regional institutions. This would also enable the United States to become deeply involved in shaping the agendas of such groups. It would undoubtedly serve America’s own interests far better in the longer term than its staying at the periphery. Economically, the United States continues to be a key export market for the ASEAN countries, but its importance has been falling just as China’s has been increasing. The United States has also been the leading single-country investor in the region. ASEAN could do more to increase its attractiveness to American corporations by improving its trade and investment policies and practices. A cooperative ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) would create a strong incentive for American corporations to invest in ASEAN nations, which, in turn, would boost overall U.S.-ASEAN economic activity.3 On the security front, the United States has enjoyed very good relations with the governments of the region. This is partly because the United States has basically pursued a strategy of encouraging Southeast Asian nations to help themselves in combating domestic terrorist activities. Lately, the United States has paid greater attention to maritime security in the Malacca Strait, urging countries in the region to enhance their cooperative patrols. For Southeast Asia, the United States’ military presence has been imperative in guaranteeing peace and security, especially when the regional environment has become somewhat unpredictable. The latest initiative of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus Eight, which encompasses ASEAN’s ten countries, plus China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, [34.201.8.144] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 17:03 GMT) U.S. Engagement with ASEAN New Zealand, India, Russia, and the United States, is another testament to how ASEAN values the indispensable security role of Washington in this region. aSEan aS thE REgIOn’S DRIVIng FORcE ASEAN’s relations with the United States have evolved as the global system has changed. ASEAN is on its way to strengthening its political cohesion and economic integration by launching the ASEAN Charter and other measures, and assigning itself as an effective driving force for Asia-wide regional integration. Good and strong ties with the United States would permit ASEAN to maintain such a role. ASEAN’s role as a hub for the many regional organizations in the Asia-Pacific is encouraged because ASEAN is considered a neutral player and an honest broker that brings together key regional powers, including the United States. I do believe that this publication will bring to light new avenues of cooperation between ASEAN and the United States. The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) has cooperated with the East-West Centre (Washington Office) in a project aimed at highlighting the question of “why ASEAN matters to the United States and why the United States matters to ASEAN”. A publication, ASEAN Matters for America, which is part of the project, gives a most detailed...