Feted as the ‘fulcrum of regional institutions in Asia’, the notion of ASEAN’s centrality has been a subject of intense interest to the academic and policy communities in Southeast Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific region. Given the significant changes in the geo-strategic and political-economic environment in Asia, ASEAN faces several uncertainties as its member states deal with slew of challenges impacting the region. Among these include United States-China heighted competition, China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea and the emergence of regional security frameworks like the QUAD and AUKUS. Closer to home, the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar and the inability of ASEAN to implement its Five-Point Consensus, the risks of growing bifurcation in the region, as well as the growing impact of climate change on food security and health security are testing the ability of ASEAN to respond collectively to maintain regional peace and security.
Against these range of geo-political and strategic challenges, the Centre on Asia and Globalisation (CAG) brings together three regional experts to share their perspectives on the theme of ASEAN centrality at its 8th Counterpoint Southeast Asia public webinar, “
Is ASEAN centrality obsolete in an evolving regional order?” on 28th August 2023. Among the questions that this webinar will address are: How can ASEAN respond effectively while maintaining its unity? Will ASEAN be able to navigate Sino-US rivalry while preserving strategic autonomy? Can ASEAN remain relevant and prevent becoming obsolete in an evolving regional order?
Counterpoint Southeast Asia is a webinar and policy brief series that tackles strategic and complex questions facing Southeast Asia by presenting the perspectives of regional academics and policy experts. It is organised by the Centre on Asia and Globalisation, LKYSPP, NUS.