Former Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa warned that "a passive, or at best reactive, Asean… is guaranteed to be an irrelevant Asean" . 바카라사이트주소
But, before we can be more active, we need to examine whether the conditions for doing so are deteriorating or improving.
Let us examine, for example, whether certain Asean nations' power of self-determination on trade and foreign relations has weakened or strengthened in recent years.
Asean as a collective body has no intention of taking sides in a United States-China conflict in the region. 안전놀이터
However, each nation has to take care of its own national interests, first and foremost.
Each nation is being pulled by different external factors.
Achieving a good balance is getting more challenging and, for certain nations, it has become almost impossible.
If the superpowers are sincere in hoping Asean will remain a united, effective and valuable partner, they should respect how we conduct our economic and foreign relation affairs, with least interference from their part.
Superpowers should solve their contests and conflicts in the region in an amicable way among themselves. They should not use nations here as pawns, as doing so will diminish the neutrality and, eventually, the unity of Asean.
In short, Asean should not be collateral damage in the superpowers' tussles in the region. 바카라사이트
The trade war between China and the US has already started.
It is time for Asean to stay united to prevent the region from being used as a battlefield of any sort.
Asean nations should collectively and individually exert more influence on the superpowers through various channels.
If we stay passive, the result is obvious - Asean will become a disunited and irrelevant body down the road.