The 38th ASEAN Roundtable takes place in in Singapore on October 3. (Photo: ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute) The annual event, held by the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, was attended by over 200 diplomatsand leading researchers in the region and the world. It discussed changes inthe regional and international geopolitical environments, impacts on thecurrent world order and ASEAN, and solutions for the bloc.
In his opening remarks, Choi Shing Kwok, Director of the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, said the roundtable was aforum for discussing ASEAN’s role in shaping the future of Southeast Asia andorienting the global order that is at risk of fragmentation.
The geopolitical situation is changing, with powerfulcountries implementing initiatives and their own approaches to the region suchas the Global Security Initiative of China or different Indo-Pacificstrategies, all of which affect the bloc’s centrality in the regionalarchitecture, he noted.
Delivering his introductory speech, ASEAN Secretary-General KaoKim Hourn underlined that the world is being fragmented, and this is not thefirst time.
ASEAN is now much bigger than it was at the time of itsestablishment, he noted, adding that amid the current complex geopoliticalcontext, ASEAN now more than ever needs to stay united, affirm and maintain itsrole and importance in shaping a world order that helps secure peace,stability, and prosperity for the region.
Themed “ASEAN in a Fragmented Global Order”, the roundtable featuredsessions on forces of fragmentation, regional economic integration, themanagement of potential regional flashpoints, and ASEAN in the age ofmultipolarity.
The event also looked into the US’s and China’s policiestowards the region, recommendations for ASEAN, and potential flashpoints in theregion.
Participants shared the view that the global order is under threat offragmentation due to the rise of protectionism, nationalism, and theintensifying US - China rivalry. Globalisation gains over the last threedecades are now at risk of economic decoupling, which can be felt in the formof supply chain dislocations and export bans, among others. In the face ofthese challenges, ASEAN has maintained its central role as the primary forumfor dialogue and cooperation in Southeast Asia./.
VNA
