Southeast Asia is unenviably the region to which the major powers, be they the US, China, the European Union, India, Russia, Australia or Japan, are according to the highest priority at this juncture. All of these countries are on the same page as far as Asean is concerned. An Asean that is stable, peaceful, and focused on regional economic integration would be beneficial to the international community. This trend is in reverse in other parts of the world.
The US-China rivalry has divided Europe, South America, and the Pacific islands, while Asean still holds on to its founding fathers' principle of not siding with any power, big or small. For the past five decades, the bloc has continued to reject the oft-mentioned plan to form a collective military coalition. Instead, Asean has chosen to play the role of peacemaker. Quite often, the grouping has been severely criticised for its discreet and non-military actions.
