Explained: All about ASEAN and East Asia Summits, to be attended by PM Modi

PM Modi will also attend the East Asia Summit, adding it will “provide an opportunity to deliberate on the challenges to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”

The ASEAN grouping is one of the more successful examples of multinational organisations globally, with the 10 neighbouring countries leveraging their cultural and historical links for successful economic and political ties. Why is it a significant aspect of India’s foreign policy in the region, especially in the backdrop of China’s recent assertions here? We explain.

First, what is ASEAN?

On August 8, 1967, five Southeast Asian leaders – the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – came together in Bangkok. Thailand was brokering some disputes among Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, and the event eventually led to the signing of a document.

“The five Foreign Ministers who signed it – Adam Malik of Indonesia, Narciso R. Ramos of the Philippines, Tun Abdul Razak of Malaysia, S. Rajaratnam of Singapore, and Thanat Khoman of Thailand – would subsequently be hailed as the Founding Fathers of probably the most successful inter-governmental organisation in the developing world today. And the document that they signed would be known as the ASEAN Declaration,” the ASEAN website states.

The ASEAN Declaration conveyed the aspiration to further regional cooperation in economic, social, cultural, technical, educational and other fields. Promoting regional peace and stability was another major goal. It stipulated that the Association would be open for participation by all States in the Southeast Asian region subscribing to its aims, principles and purposes.

Over the next few decades, five others joined – Brunei Darussalam, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam. The 10-nation grouping has an anthem, a flag and biannual summits (twice a year) with a rotating chairmanship. An example of the focus on unity, its official motto is “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”. Its major pillars are Political-Security Community (APSC), Economic Community (AEC) and Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC).

What is India’s link with ASEAN?

ASEAN is central to India’s ‘Act East’ policy, which focuses on the extended neighbourhood in the Asia-Pacific region. It was formulated as the next step to the ‘Look East’ Policy which originated in the 1990s.

In a world without the USSR, which India had close historical ties with, India sought to deepen its relations with other countries, like those in Southeast Asia. Northeast Indian states, due to their proximity to Southeast Asia, were to be instrumental in this.

The policy was originally conceived as an economic initiative, with many Southeast Asian countries having seen rapid economic growth in the last few decades. For instance, Brunei, which PM Modi visited earlier this year, is one of the largest oil and gas producers in the region.

The India-ASEAN relationship subsequently gained political, strategic and cultural dimensions, including the establishment of institutional mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation. India is part of the ASEAN Plus Six grouping, which includes China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia.

In 2010, a Free Trade Agreement was also signed and entered into force between India and ASEAN. While India was part of negotiations to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2020, it ultimately decided not to do so. In recent years, trade has grown in terms of value, barring the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.

And what is the East Asia Summit?

The East Asia Summit (EAS) process was initiated in 2005 with 16 participating countries, namely the ASEAN Member States, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea. The United States and the Russian Federation joined later on.

It refers to the Meeting of Heads of State/Governments of these countries and is convened annually.

What is ASEAN’s significance with the rise of China?

Speaking at the 20th ASEAN-India summit in Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, the Prime Minister said in 2023 that ASEAN was the “central pillar” of India’s Act East Policy and India fully supported the group’s centrality and outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

India’s emphasis on the region’s geopolitics matters in the context of China’s ascendancy in world affairs in recent years. Under President Xi Jinping, it has also taken a more authoritarian turn. China’s economic stature gives it heft, allowing it to fund several infrastructure projects and provide loans to other countries. These projects have been viewed with some suspicion for leading to “debt traps”, where a failure to repay the loans leads to Chinese control over strategic national assets.

Further, cooperation has also been affected by China’s claims over the South China Sea (many of which compete with claims of ASEAN members like the Philippines and Brunei) and the issue of military conflict in its member country, Myanmar.

ASEAN has attempted to remain separate from the larger geopolitical rivalry in the Indo-Pacific at times. After the 2023 summit, India’s Former Ambassador to ASEAN, Ambassador Gurjit Singh, wrote in The Indian Express: “China remains the major challenge for ASEAN, in particular, with regard to big-power rivalry in the region. Its (ASEAN’s) call for peace and prosperity is a muted way of saying that the US and China will not exhibit their rivalry in the region.”

In this context, India has attempted to provide an alternative and deepen its relationship. PM Modi also said in a statement, “We share close cultural and civilisational ties with the region, including with Lao PDR, which are enriched by shared heritage of Buddhism and Ramayana. I look forward to my meetings with the Lao PDR leadership to further strengthen our bilateral ties. I am confident that this visit will further deepen our engagement with ASEAN countries.”