After more than a year of discussion, ASEAN members has adopted its geopolitic concept document in Indo-Pacific region which proposed by Indonesia in the 34th ASEAN Summit which known as ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. The outlook emphasizes common interests of cooperation which prioritized in the maritime cooperation, regional connectivity, the United Nations’s SDGs and Economic sector. It is intended as ASEAN’s countries guidance to promote cooperation among countries especially its external partners by using ASEAN-led mechanisms. Politically for ASEAN, the Indo-Pacific Outlook is an alternative regional order to face the expansion of great powers and US-China rivalry cause it has threatened ASEAN’s claimed of centrality in regional security achitecture.
Based on the fact that ASEAN’s countries is located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific, ASEAN has translated their geographic fact in the region into geopolitical influence. Keywords for the ASEAN Indo-Pacific concept in the outlook are “inclusivity” and “ASEAN Centrality”. Inclusivity emphasizes that cooperation in the Indo-Pacific should be open to all countries in the region and also encompass all countries. Furthermore, the centrality of the ASEAN has been emphasized amidst the geopolitical shifts that this region is encountering like the US- China ongoing rivalry. Those implicitly allude the Free and Open Indo Pacific (FOIP) strategy, embraced by the United States and Japan that devoid of any intention to include China. In 2017, Japan, India, Australia and the US created the “Quad”. The strategic grouping that the FOIP espouses. The Quad is not explicitly aimed as an alliance against China influence in the region but it seems projected to counter Beijing over Indo-Pacific region.
Nevertheless, The US, India, Australia and Japan politely behave with collectively came out in strong support of an ASEAN-led mechanism to preserve and promote rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific region as well as their support for other regional institutions, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association and Pacific Islands Forum. Many in Southeast Asia might also consider the US support for ASEAN’s Indo-Pacific Outlook as another American long-term commitment to the region. It denote that instead of pushing FOIP alone, it is more credible signal to endorse an ASEAN-led Indo-Pacific. Besides, it will not change significantly the existing cooperation among those countries.
In the other side, The Chinise Foreign Minister has stated that the idea of Quad move would “dissipate like sea foam”. China has increased its naval expeditions in the eastern Indian Ocean and has “encircled” the Indian coastline by investing in the construction of several ports in South and Southeast Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Myanmar. The Washington or Beijing may see such cooperation as an “endorsement” and prerogative right of their respective Indo-Pacific visions.
However, at the rising of the current tensions among great powers, infrastructure development increasingly reflects strategic competition. It can be seen when Japan, The US and Australia have announced that they will lend more than $1 billion to finance a liquefied natural gas project in Papua New Guinea. This is projected to counter China’s BRI aid. The United States also needs to put more economic and political resources into ASEAN as their long-term strategy in order to counterbalance China’s domination in Asia. It can be query to what extent ASEAN keep the Indo-Pacific concept which based on inclusivity and ASEAN centrality. Therefore, this is a serious challenge for ASEAN to keep its centrality.
ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific is an essential step in the creation of stable regional order but at the same time, it is also a challenge for ASEAN to advance its own conception of the Indo- Pacific in order to achieve ASEAN Centrality amidst ongoing tug of power. In order to achieve inclusivity and ASEAN Centrality, ASEAN urgently need to make strategic and practical movement rather than aspirational and normative action. They should immediatly address pressing strategic challenges in order to balancing the tug of power in the region.
Based on the fact that ASEAN’s countries is located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific, ASEAN has translated their geographic fact in the region into geopolitical influence. Keywords for the ASEAN Indo-Pacific concept in the outlook are “inclusivity” and “ASEAN Centrality”. Inclusivity emphasizes that cooperation in the Indo-Pacific should be open to all countries in the region and also encompass all countries. Furthermore, the centrality of the ASEAN has been emphasized amidst the geopolitical shifts that this region is encountering like the US- China ongoing rivalry. Those implicitly allude the Free and Open Indo Pacific (FOIP) strategy, embraced by the United States and Japan that devoid of any intention to include China. In 2017, Japan, India, Australia and the US created the “Quad”. The strategic grouping that the FOIP espouses. The Quad is not explicitly aimed as an alliance against China influence in the region but it seems projected to counter Beijing over Indo-Pacific region.
Nevertheless, The US, India, Australia and Japan politely behave with collectively came out in strong support of an ASEAN-led mechanism to preserve and promote rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific region as well as their support for other regional institutions, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association and Pacific Islands Forum. Many in Southeast Asia might also consider the US support for ASEAN’s Indo-Pacific Outlook as another American long-term commitment to the region. It denote that instead of pushing FOIP alone, it is more credible signal to endorse an ASEAN-led Indo-Pacific. Besides, it will not change significantly the existing cooperation among those countries.
In the other side, The Chinise Foreign Minister has stated that the idea of Quad move would “dissipate like sea foam”. China has increased its naval expeditions in the eastern Indian Ocean and has “encircled” the Indian coastline by investing in the construction of several ports in South and Southeast Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Myanmar. The Washington or Beijing may see such cooperation as an “endorsement” and prerogative right of their respective Indo-Pacific visions.
However, at the rising of the current tensions among great powers, infrastructure development increasingly reflects strategic competition. It can be seen when Japan, The US and Australia have announced that they will lend more than $1 billion to finance a liquefied natural gas project in Papua New Guinea. This is projected to counter China’s BRI aid. The United States also needs to put more economic and political resources into ASEAN as their long-term strategy in order to counterbalance China’s domination in Asia. It can be query to what extent ASEAN keep the Indo-Pacific concept which based on inclusivity and ASEAN centrality. Therefore, this is a serious challenge for ASEAN to keep its centrality.
ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific is an essential step in the creation of stable regional order but at the same time, it is also a challenge for ASEAN to advance its own conception of the Indo- Pacific in order to achieve ASEAN Centrality amidst ongoing tug of power. In order to achieve inclusivity and ASEAN Centrality, ASEAN urgently need to make strategic and practical movement rather than aspirational and normative action. They should immediatly address pressing strategic challenges in order to balancing the tug of power in the region.
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