by Thu Van

MANILA — In the context of growing rivalries between major world powers, ASEAN needs to demonstrate strong political will and unity to promote peace, security and prosperity, foreign policy experts said on Friday.

They were speaking at a panel discussion at the inaugural ASEAN Media Forum in Manila, ahead of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum.

ASEAN was forged as a mechanism for managing collective security, and the grouping’s role had worked very well for a while, until it began to de-stabilise in 2010, said Michael Vatikiotis, the Asian Regional Director of the Centre for Human Dialogue.

“It was around this time that the two largest powers in Asia, the US and China started sparring more openly,” he said, citing China’s direct investment, support for strategic infrastructure development and military co-operation and the US’s “pivot” to Asia. Tiếp tục đọc “United ASEAN needs to showcase political will: experts” →