ASEAN and the BRI: The Utility of Equidistant Diplomacy with China and the US

The aim of the present study is to shed light on the diplomatic achievements of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by exploring the way in which it has dealt with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) implemented by China. ASEAN is little more than an association of minor powers with insignificant military and economic capabilities. However, in its dealings with the BRI, it has proactively advanced its own interests by skillfully conducting equidistant diplomacy with China and the US, without becoming too remote from or too close to either one of them, thereby reaping benefits from its favorable relations with each of them

ASEAN, Human Rights and the West

The common belief that the Western powers are putting pressure on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to change its stance on human rights is erroneous. Hence, proponents of human rights diplomacy in Southeast Asia should not count on these powers

Establishment of ASEAN Regional Forum : a constructivist improvement on a rationalist explanation?

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

ASEAN’s 40th Anniversary: Great Achievements and New Challenges

THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is holding its annual series of ministerial meetings this week in the Philippines, including the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) on 30 July and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on 2 August. This year’s meetings have particular significance in that they mark the fortieth anniversary of the association. What has ASEAN achieved in four decades, and what challenges are confronting it today

The North Korean paradox: regime change anyone?

The issue of Pyongyang’s development of nuclear weapons has alarmed countries in East Asia and raised tension between the United States and North Korea, with the threat of war looming over the peninsula. Since President George W Bush pronounced North Korea to be part of an “axis of evil” with Iraq and Iran, Pyongyang has declared its intention to arm itself with nuclear weapons for its survival and called for a non-agression pact with Washington. The US has pressed for multilateral talks involving first China and later Japan, South Korea and Russia as well. The first round of the six-way talks, held in Beijing in late August, has held out the prospect of a resolution that obviates a military attack on North Korea’s nuclear facilities. This paper assesses the different perspectives of the various countries involved in the North Korean issue; whether they favour a regime change in Pyongyang; and the prospects of the six-way talks

East Asian regional cooperation : Japan falling behind China?

Japan, which previously had a leading role in Southeast Asian regional cooperation, seems to have fallen behind China in recent decades. However it is still a crucial economic player and can balance China politically in regional forums