Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, Cambodia
Development of Regional Cooperation in Southeast Asia
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held its combined 40th and 41st summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from November 10-13. ASEAN summits are typically held twice a year and this year, as in 2021, the two summits were combined into one event.
Canada was represented at the proceedings by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly. They used the occasion to promote and further reveal the government's Indo-Pacific Strategy. Notably, the aims of the U.S. and Canada in the region run counter to the spirit of cooperation and regional integration on which ASEAN was founded in 1967.
ASEAN has 11 members: Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. East Timor's membership was approved in principle on November 11. Based on 2021 figures, the combined population of ASEAN countries is 714.841 million, about 8.9 per cent of the world's population.
Several related summits were held in Phnom Penh in parallel with the main ASEAN summits. These included the ASEAN-Canada Commemorative Summit, the 10th ASEAN-U.S. Summit, the 25th ASEAN-Japan Summit, the Second ASEAN-Australia Summit, the 19th ASEAN-India Summit, the 25th ASEAN Plus Three (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) Summit, the 12th ASEAN-UN Summit, the 25th ASEAN-China Summit, and the 17th East Asia Summit.
ASEAN's theme this year, under the chairmanship of Cambodia, was "Addressing Challenges Together (ASEAN ACT)" In the introduction to ASEAN's 2021-2022 Annual Report, Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi highlighted certain aspects of the organization's work in the past year. He noted, "Regional peace remains our goal as ASEAN works steadfastly for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea."
Economically, he said, "ASEAN has forged ahead with its regional integration agenda" and has embraced digital transformation "as a new driver for the region's inclusive, innovative and sustainable growth" with the aim of "transform[ing] the region of 463 million internet users into a leading digital economy." On the socio-cultural front, he states that ASEAN's work "continues to pivot on the well-being and empowerment of our people. Development programs, including 25 health-related initiatives, have been designed to adequately respond to the current as well as future pandemics."
An ASEAN Leaders' Vision Statement on the ASEAN ACT Summit was issued November 11. It reiterates the basis of "regional cooperation in the spirit of equality and partnership and to secure peace, freedom and prosperity for its peoples and region" on which ASEAN was founded in 1967. It reaffirms "the importance of regional solidarity, continuity and sustainability in ASEAN's endeavour to realize an ASEAN Community that is politically cohesive, economically integrated, and socially responsible as stipulated in the ASEAN Charter." It goes on to state that "togetherness emphasizes an action-oriented approach that is based on openness, honesty, good faith, solidarity, and harmony within ASEAN in addressing common challenges facing the region timely and effectively to realize a harmonious ASEAN Community that is peaceful, stable, and prosperous."
Amongst the priorities it outlines, it calls on member nations to:
"Promote cooperation and partnerships within ASEAN and with external partners through ASEAN-led mechanisms based on the principles of consultation and consensus, equality, partnership, and mutual respect, while maintaining ASEAN Centrality, in order to achieve harmony and sustainability in all dimensions of ASEAN Community-building and in promoting regional and international peace, stability and prosperity;
"Maintain ASEAN as a region of peace, freedom, stability and security, where differences and disputes are resolved by peaceful means; and free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, including through the effective implementation of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty and its Plan of Action.
It goes on to say that member countries will reinforce the ASEAN Political-Security Community Bluerint, the Economic Community Blueprint, the Social-Cultural Blueprint, and implement plans for intregration and connectivity.
The statement concludes with a focus on external relations, saying in part that the organization will:
"Continue to expand ASEAN's external relations based on shared interest, constructive engagement, and mutual benefit which could contribute to ASEAN's community-building, regional integration and development cooperation efforts, as well as strengthen and deepen cooperation with external partners through ASEAN-led mechanisms for comprehensive and sustainable recovery, and promote peace, stability and prosperity through mutually beneficial cooperation for ASEAN Community building efforts and socio-economic development through ASEAN-led mechanisms, while maintaining ASEAN Centrality in the evolving regional architecture;
"Strengthen ASEAN-led mechanisms, including ASEAN Plus One, ASEAN Plus Three, East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus, which are significant multilateral platforms that enable countries in the region and beyond to engage in open, transparent, inclusive and constructive dialogue while remaining actively engaged and forward-looking;
"Encourage constructive engagement in the wider Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions, and leverage the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific as a guide and framework for mutually beneficial relations to promote mutual trust and respect and mutual benefit, thereby contributing to regional peace, stability, and long-term prosperity and sustainability."
The ASEAN Leaders' Vision Statement is indicative of the striving for peaceful, friendly relations of mutual benefit between ASEAN member nations, the broader Asia-Pacific and the world as a whole.
It is a sharp contrast to the striving of U.S. imperialism and its coterie of appeasers like Canada, according to whose outlook the world is all about spheres of influence, domination and exploitation, in which the people should play no role. It is also a sharp contrast to other proceedings at the ASEAN summit where the U.S. attempted to impose its narrow aggressive aims in the Asia-Pacific.
Despite ASEAN having its own logic, principles and considerations, the NATO-instigated conflict in Ukraine was a notable feature of this year's summit, with the U.S. and its allies, including Ukraine, calling on other countries to take up their chauvinism and warmongering by supporting Ukraine as a necessary stand for all ASEAN countries to take.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba took part in the Summit and used the occasion to present disinformation about the conflict in his country. At a news conference on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit on November 12, said, "I call on all ASEAN members to take every method possible to stop Russia from playing hunger games with the world," the implication being that the conflict is causing global food shortages for which Russia alone is responsible. He made further baseless suggestions that Russia's implementation of a grain shipment agreement should be scrutinized and measures should be taken to ensure that the Russian side acts in good faith. Kuleba had earlier put the matter to ASEAN leaders that adopting neutrality and not condemning Russia was against their interests.
Similarly, the White House on November 13 released the "Phnom Penh Statement on Trilateral Partnership for the Indo-Pacific" coming out of its meeting with Japan and the Republic of Korea during the ASEAN Summit. Besides targeting the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the three countries state that they "affirm their commitment to stand with Ukraine against Russia's unprovoked and brutal war of aggression against Ukraine that has shaken the foundation of the international order. They recognize that the Indo-Pacific cannot be stable and secure while aggression rages anywhere; threats to territorial integrity and sovereignty undermine the fabric of the entire international order."
According to the outlook espoused by the U.S., which calls itself the indispensable nation, it can carry out its aggression, wars and occupations around the world, over years and decades, and this does not represent such a threat to the international order.
This article was published in
Volume 52 Number 8 - November 2022
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2022/Articles/MS520813.HTM
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