By Brad Nelson
The bloc continues to be hamstrung by a lack of leadership. Could Indonesia step up?
ASEAN is riding high. It recently held a successful summit. Myanmar’s ascension to the leadership mantle is a sign the country is moving in a positive direction, reflecting well on the entire Southeast Asian bloc of countries. Relative to other parts of the world, ASEAN countries are robust economic performers. Indeed, according to the OECD, ASEAN economies are tipped to grow more than five percent over the next five years, with Indonesia leading the way at more than six percent growth. The oft-discussed and much-anticipated ASEAN Economic Community is supposed to come into existence in 2015. An increasingly confident ASEAN has waded into hot-button issues like the maritime disputes in the South and East China Seas. And above all, with all of the attention ASEAN has received from China, the U.S., India and Japan, it has seen its global profile and standing rise markedly.
Still, it isn’t entirely smooth sailing for ASEAN. The regional body has a number of issues it needs to address going forward. It must shrink the development gaps between the most and least economically successful countries within the bloc. It will have to respond to disasters like the deadly typhoon Haiyan, and environmental problems, such as pollution and the haze. ASEAN must find a way to improve its record on human rights. It must do a better job at acting as a troubleshooter on issues like regional maritime disputes. Probably most importantly, ASEAN has to weather the rise of China, which is problematic on a number of levels. Let’s explore the last issue – the rise of China – in more detail.
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