The recent Republic Day celebrations where ten ASEAN leaders were Guests of Honour,saw the MEA say such statements like “India has such a positive role in the Indo-Pacific region,” and “India is a very important component of peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.”

The Prime Minister himself said, “Indians have always looked East to see the nurturing sunrise and the light of opportunities. Now, as before, the East, or the Indo-Pacific region, will be indispensable to India's future and our common destiny.”

What was left unsaid however or rather implied was that the ASEAN countries also have a lot to learn from India in coordinating with each other in terms of regional interaction and cooperation in mutual topics like science and defence.

China as the elephant in the room

Even as the southeast Asian economies look to find a deal with China’s domination, the US pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has come as a body blow for them.

“(The ASEAN countries) have become increasingly vulnerable to any economic shocks that could impact upon the Chinese economy in the future. The old adage that ‘when the US sneezes, the world catches a cold’ also can now be rephrased as ‘when China sneezes, Asia catches influenza’,” said Rajiv Biswas, senior director and chief Asia-Pacific economist at consultancy firm IHS Markit.

The ASEAN has a trade deficit of $77 billion with China and a trade surplus of over $45 billion with the US, according to ASEAN data from November 2016. The TPP was meant to be a counter to China’s economic hegemony in the southeast Asia, but the US put paid to the plans.

Furthermore the Chinese aggression in the South China directly impacts many of the ASEAN countries and the lack of a united response is hurting their ability to ward of Chinese ambitions in the area.

China claims historic rights over about 90 percent of the South China Sea, where about $5-trillion worth of goods pass through every year. The expansive claim is being disputed by Taiwan and ASEAN members Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

How can the disparate countries do better?

ASEAN was created on 8 August 1967, when the foreign ministers of five countries; Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, signed the ASEAN Declaration.

The creation of ASEAN was motivated by a common fear of communism, and a thirst for economic development. The aims and purposes of ASEAN are as follows.

• To accelerate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in the region.
• To promote regional peace.
• To promote collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest.
• To provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research facilities.
• To collaborate for the better utilisation of agriculture and industry to raise the living standards of the people.
• To promote Southeast Asian studies.
• To maintain close, beneficial co-operation with existing international organisations with similar aims and purposes

Furthermore the ASEAN way is a working process or style that is informal and personal. Policymakers constantly utilize compromise, consensus, and consultation in the informal decision-making process.

It above all prioritizes a consensus-based, non-conflictual way of addressing problems. Quiet diplomacy allows ASEAN leaders to communicate without bringing the discussions into the public view. Members avoid embarrassment that may lead to further conflict.

This policy often leads to silence and lack of cohesiveness on important and pressing issues that require a united response. The language barrier between the member countries prevents free flow of ideas and human resources across the borders.

However the presence of the Indian diaspora in almost all ASEAN nations has also helped strengthen ties. Almost 1.6 million Indians call Malaysia their second home.

Since the socio cultural environment between India and the ASEAN countries are so similar, it should not be hard to establish common organizations to focus on defence and research.

The advantage that India has may not be possible to replicate in having a common Central government but with a regulatory framework in place that can establish a stronger cooperation between states, greater regional integration can be achieved.

There have already been steps towards this end as India and ASEAN vowed to work together on common regional and international security issues and “ensure an open, transparent, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture.”

References

www.philstar.com

www.thehindu.com

https://qz.com

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com