ASEAN Perspectives on a Viable Route for an East Asian Community

THAM SIEW YEAN (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, tham@ukm.my)

Abstract


This article explores the viability of the APT and the APS for building a community in East Asia. The construction of a community that transcends geographical boundaries has to be anchored in common characteristics such as common interests and/or common values besides being guided by the community that is envisioned by ASEAN. Existing realities show investment and trade linkages are quite robust among the APT countries while the inclusion of Australia, India and New Zealand do not enhance these investment and trade linkages are quite robust among the APT process based on common interests such as financial stability in the region as well as non-traditional security issues while the APS process is still exploring areas of cooperation based on common interests. Common values are still evolving. Thus, based on the existing extensive economic linkages, institutions, and common interests, the APT process is the most likely mechanism for making community building in East Asian a reality.

Keywords: ASEAN, ASEAN Plus Three, ASEAN Plus Six, East Asian community

ABSTRAK

Makalah ini menerokai kemungkinan boleh jaya APT dan APS untuk membina komuniti di Asia Timur. Pembinaan komuniti yang melangkaui sempadan geografi perlu berasaskan ciri-ciri sepunya seperti minat dan nilai sepunya selain dipandukan oleh wawasan komuniti yang dibayangkan oleh ASEAN. Kenyataan yang wujud menunjukkan rantaian pelaburan dan perdagangan adalah agak teguh dalam kalangan negara APT sementara termasuknya Australia, India dan New Zealand tidak meningkatan kesignifikanan rantaian-rantaian tersebut. APT telah memulakan proses kerjasama rasmi berdasarkan minat sepunya seperti stabiliti kewangan serantau dan juga isu keselamatan yang bukan berbentuk tradisi sedangkan APS masih dalam proses menerokai usaha-usaha kerjasama berasaskan minat sepunya. Nilai-nilai sepunya masih berkembang secara beransur-ansur. Berdasarkan kewujudan hubungan ekonomi, institusi, dan minat sepunya yang agak luas dalam kalangan APT, maka proses APT merupakan mekanisme yang paling sesuai untuk merealisasikan pembinaan komuniti di Asia Timur.

Kata kunci: ASEAN, ASEAN Plus Three, ASEAN Plus Six, East Asian community


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