Asean gets tough on the US over trade, but tiptoes around South China Sea build-up
With Singapore as chair of the regional bloc this year, China has an advantage as the focus shifts from geopolitics to trade and investment
The latest Asean summit in Singapore underscored the emergence of China as the new regional leader. The 10 member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations took a tough stance on trade protectionism in the West when they met last week, while extending an olive branch to China over geopolitical disputes.
While lingering anxieties towards China’s rise persist, smaller regional states have become increasingly exasperated with America’s assault on the global trading regime. Meanwhile, China is increasingly seen as the new centre of economic gravity.
Eager to maintain robust trade and investment ties with Beijing, Asean took a soft approach to the South China Sea rows that have driven a wedge between China and several rival claimants in recent decades.
As the most developed nation in Southeast Asia, Singapore has long been a pillar of greater integration in the region. It has been a major investor in the Initiative for Asean Integration, which aims to narrow the institutional and development gaps among member nations through capacity-building projects in various fields.
