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ASEAN-driven Indo-Pacific a strategic necessity?
It is a necessity for ASEAN to come up with a strategic vision that would ensure the future of the Indo-Pacific region as a peaceful, stable and prosperous one.
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ASEAN must understand that its future, economically and militarily, will also depend on stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (Shutterstock/File)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, in his address during the recently held ASEAN Summit in Singapore, maintained that the regional grouping must continue to stay relevant in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical and geoeconomics environment.
He was concerned that the growing rivalry among major powers, which was initially more evident in East Asia, has now extended to the wider Indo-Pacific region. According to President Jokowi, this might undermine the peace and stability maintained by ASEAN over the last 50 years.
To respond to this challenge, President Jokowi insisted that ASEAN should not act like a passive bystander. The association must play an active role in shaping the future of Indo-Pacific regional architecture, of which President Jokowi emphasized the need for ASEAN to put forward its own vision.
The question is, does the 10-member association really need an ASEAN-driven Indo-Pacific vision?
