LESSON 7 ASIAN REGIONALISM & ASEAN

• regionalism


  strengthened collective identity in a conglomerate of nations occupying a particular geographical area or aiming at shared goals: increase in economic exchange
• dynamics in international relations: post cold war era

  countries rely on UN in resolving regional conflict


  In the earlier years of human history, misunderstandings or conflict of interest could have been resolved outright by bloody and massive wars. But now, nations are utilizing their diplomatic powers to mitigate the possibility of catastrophic ends. paving the way for the emergence of peacekeeping initiatives and regional trade organization
• dynamics in international relations: post cold war era

  emergence of regional cooperation achieving political and economic goals


  According to Huntington (1996), one of the consequences of the post-Cold War affair is the shift of power from the West to groups of nations with similar cultural identity. Apparently, nations are becoming more committed to other nations which cultural identity they share
• regionalism is necessary phenomenon

  1.amidst globalization, global problems remained to be tackled in regional sphere

  2. the collapse of the alliances has led to regionalism and transregionalism (more than 2 joined groups) trends

  3. regionalism attempt for resilience in a world which remains acknowledge superpower tendencies among particular state such as america

  4. growing insecurity within particular regions require solutions from within these regions. something which is made complicated by global dynamics
• Hettne’s Faces of Regionalism and Degrees of Regionness

  old regionalism

  • bipolar such it was produced in a schism between opposing political alliance
  • imposed by the superpowers
  • secures economic security within alliances
  • specific to economic and political objectives
  • focus only on nation-state
• Hettne’s Faces of Regionalism and Degrees of Regionness

  new regionalism

  • multipolar as it open for multilateral engagement and collaborations among countries
  • spontaneous and sought voluntarily by constituents
  • open in much as it is multipolar
  • comprehensive and multidimensional (political, cultural, economic, social)
  • invovles non-state actors
• Asian regionalism

  specific trends necessitate regional cooperation (hernandez,1996)

  • security challenges
  • ecological breakdown
  • demand in human resources
  • labor migration
  • international terrorism
  • epidemics
  • drug traficking
• asia


  is the largest and most populated continent in the world. Geographically, it is separated from the European Continent by the Urals, from Africa by the Suez Canal, from the North America by the Bering Strait (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2012).
• asia is compromised by

  • central asia
  • east asia
  • south asia
  • southeast asea
  • middle east
• central asia 


  countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

  purpose: the silk road trade, the historical economic and cultural exchange between rome and china
• east asia


  countries: China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, Taiwan, (Hong Kong) (Macau)

  purpose: cradle of ancient civilization such as the chinese and japanese civilizations as well as the mongol empire
• south asia


  countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal

  purpose: High population density; cradle of the Indian civilization
• southeast asia


  countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Lester, Vietnam

  purpose: Found in the Asia Pacific Ring of Fire; historically the goal destination of the European expeditions for its spice.
• western asia (middle east)


  countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Georgia, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi, Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

  purpose: Many are arid desert regions but serve as gateways and routes to major bodies of water in the world
• Region as a geographical unit


  A region can be construed as a place, as a physical environment
• Region as a social system


  A region can be construed as a conglomerate of people occupying a particular space and possessing unique dynamics of interaction.
• Region as organized cooperation


  A region can be construed as a group of nations who agree to take part and form a formal organization. For instance, Southeast Asia is a region within Asia, and it has been formalized through membership in the Association of South East Asian Nations or ASEAN.
• Region as civil society


  A region can be construed as a network of cultural and social linkages among countries who voluntarily take part in a cooperation among nations
• Region as an acting subject


  A region can be construed as a group of nations concerned about peace, welfare, and prosperity of its people.
• benefits of asian integration

  according to kuroda

  • members can integrate based on their capacity vis-a-vis the available opportunities
  • it opens up for collaboration and merging of smaller groups
  • it is responsible to business and open materials
• benefits of asian integration

  according to ADB

  • it harnesses the strengths of diverse economies
  • it provides platform for connecting financial markets (reduced capital, shared risks)
  • it makes the economy more resilient to global risks
  • it pools resources
  • it creates regional mechanisms for safety and security
• challenges of asian integration

  • need to establish compatible product standards
  • need to establish guidelines that buffer financial contagion and ensure compatible financial regulations
  • need to coordinate macroeconomic policies
  • need to manage cross-border environmental and social policies (such as fair treatment of migrant workers)
• criticism in asian integration

  Skeptics think that these institutionsHave neither truly contributed in resolving conflicts and disputes (e.g. People's Republic of China-Taiwan; South Korea-North Korea; and India-Pakistan conflicts) nor have used available mechanisms to resolve conflict, instead, relying on International Court of Justice 

• criticism in asian integration

  Have failed to successfully establish trust-building within the region, manifested in arms acquisition and increasing naval operations
• criticism in asian integration

  There are no humanitarian mechanisms despite the fact the region is relatively at risk to calamities
• Asian region remain to exist in principle to serve its goal

  • asian pacific economic cooperation (APEC)
  • East Asian summit (EAS)
  • Asia pacific community (APC)
  • East asian community (EAC)
  • Association of southeast asian nations (ASEAN)
  • ASEAN plus three (APT)
• members of asean

  • brunie
  • cambodia
  • laos
  • philippines
  • myanmar
  • vietnam
  • indonisia
  • thailand
  • singapore
  • malaysia
• Timor leste


  is a country that recently pass its application to be an asean member
• ASEAN vs UE

  asean- loose integration

  UE - tight integration
• Brics international organization compose of

  Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.
• Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) compose of

  Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates