Comments on: Competing Asian Communities: What the Australian and Japanese ideas mean for Asia’s regional architecture http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/10/29/competing-asian-communitie/ Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the Pacific Fri, 19 Mar 2010 22:12:37 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Kennedy Yellow http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/10/29/competing-asian-communitie/comment-page-1/#comment-96791 Kennedy Yellow Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:10:20 +0000 http://www.eastasiaforum.org/?p=7626#comment-96791 I think there is a naivety here that lies with the presumption that the medium sized countries of Southeast Asia would allow greater powers to dilute their influence. Vietnam is currently trying to reassert its position in international affairs. The existence of an ASEAN Security Community, with Indonesia at its center would only hinder that process. Rivalries between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore would also come into play, complicated by a stubborn Myanmar and a nationalistic Philippines. With all of that happening within the region, I doubt that any of these countries would allow outside countries to take whatever control they have since that would have the potential of pushing them into the sidelines, weakening their importance. Japan and Australia might try to push the regional center towards them and their goals but it would take a little more than a "idea" to make any of the ASEAN countries to bite. I think there is a naivety here that lies with the presumption that the medium sized countries of Southeast Asia would allow greater powers to dilute their influence.

Vietnam is currently trying to reassert its position in international affairs. The existence of an ASEAN Security Community, with Indonesia at its center would only hinder that process.

Rivalries between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore would also come into play, complicated by a stubborn Myanmar and a nationalistic Philippines.

With all of that happening within the region, I doubt that any of these countries would allow outside countries to take whatever control they have since that would have the potential of pushing them into the sidelines, weakening their importance.

Japan and Australia might try to push the regional center towards them and their goals but it would take a little more than a “idea” to make any of the ASEAN countries to bite.

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