Updated January 16, 2018
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Overview
appoint a representative to the ASEAN Secretariat. In 2009,
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is
the United States acceded to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity
Southeast Asia’s primary multilateral organization, a 10-
and Cooperation and committed to an annual U.S.-ASEAN
member grouping of nations with a combined population of
Leaders’ Meeting. In 2012, it raised the level of the annual
630 million and a combined annual gross domestic product
meeting to a U.S.-ASEAN Summit, and in November 2015
(GDP) of around $2.4 trillion. Established in 1967, it has
it announced the creation of a U.S.-ASEAN Strategic
grown into one of the world’s largest regional fora,
Partnership.
representing a strategically important region with some of
the world’s busiest sea lanes, including the Straits of
The United States has long stated that it has deep interests
Malacca and the South China Sea. Taken collectively,
in Southeast Asia, including fostering democracy and
ASEAN would rank as the world’s fifth-largest economy
human rights, encouraging liberal trade and investment
and the United States’ fourth-largest export market.
regimes, addressing maritime security and rising tensions in
ASEAN’s members are Brunei, Burma (Myanmar),
the South China Sea, promoting environmental protection,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines,
countering terrorist threats, and combatting human
Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
trafficking and illegal trafficking in narcotics and wildlife.
Observers in the region have largely welcomed U.S.
ASEAN engages in a wide range of diplomatic, economic
initiatives that work through ASEAN. Some Southeast
and security discussions through hundreds of annual
Asian observers have expressed concern about proposed
meetings and through a Secretariat based in Jakarta,
U.S. funding cuts for ASEAN-centered programs in
Indonesia. The group’s members rotate as chairs: Singapore
FY2018, and what they see as the Trump Administration’s
is ASEAN’s chair for 2018 and Thailand will assume the
lack of new initiatives towards their own region. Although
chair in 2019.
President Trump attended the U.S.-ASEAN Summit in
Manila in November 2017, he did not attend the subsequent
Many observers see ASEAN as an evolving hub of
East Asia Summit (EAS).
multilateral diplomacy in East Asia. In recent years,
ASEAN has been a center of discussions on numerous
U.S. trade and economic arrangements centered on ASEAN
regional issues, including South China Sea tensions, cross-
have been limited by the vast diversity of the group’s
border environmental problems, and regional economic
economic development. Per capita incomes among ASEAN
development and trade liberalization. As China has
members range from $56,084 in Singapore to $1,144 in
deepened its economic and cultural ties in Southeast Asia,
Cambodia. The United States does not have a Free Trade
some analysts believe the region also has become an area of
Agreement with ASEAN itself, though it does engage in
great power rivalry. Other powers also have shown renewed
dialogue on economic initiatives through a Trade and
or greater interest in the region, including the United States,
Investment Framework agreement (TIFA) signed in 2006.
Japan, India, Russia, and the European Union (EU).
The United States has launched a series of initiatives with
ASEAN is an informal organization, operating on principles
ASEAN and with other Southeast Asian regional
including “consensus” and “non-interference in the internal
institutions. U.S.-ASEAN Connect was created in 2016 as
affairs” of members. Some observers argue that this style
an effort to coordinate U.S. public- and private-sector
constrains ASEAN from acting strongly and cohesively on
economic initiatives in the region through the U.S. Mission
important issues. Others argue that these principles—
to ASEAN and the U.S. Embassies in Bangkok and
dubbed the “ASEAN Way”—ensure that the group’s
Singapore. U.S.-ASEAN Connect is intended to coordinate
diverse members continue to discuss issues where their
projects managed by the Departments of State and
interests are sometimes divergent. ASEAN includes nations
Commerce, the U.S. Agency for International
across the economic-development spectrum, and its
Development, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency,
political systems include democracies, semi-authoritarian
and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
states, and repressive military regimes.
Among other U.S. initiatives targeted at ASEAN are an
U.S.-ASEAN Relations
expanded Fulbright Exchange of ASEAN-U.S. Scholars,
U.S. engagement with ASEAN has expanded steadily since
aid for ASEAN’s formation of a Single Customs Window
the organization’s creation, particularly during the Obama
to facilitate easier trade of goods and services, the Young
Administration. The United States initially supported
Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) which
ASEAN as a means to promote regional dialogue and as a
offers scholarships and opportunities for young leaders in
bulwark against Communism in Asia. The United States
the region, and assistance to the ASEAN Volunteers
became an ASEAN “Dialogue Partner” in 1977. In 2008 the
Program, an ASEAN-based program modeled after the
United States became the first non-ASEAN nation to
Peace Corps.
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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
ASEAN and Asian Regional Architecture Code in 2013 and agreed to a “framework” for an
Asia has no dominant EU-style multilateral body, and many
agreement in 2017, although observers argue that
see the region’s economic and security “architectures” as
conflicting interests among China and ASEAN’s members
underdeveloped. The United States has long had strong
continues to constrain progress on a formal code.
bilateral alliances and security partnerships with individual
Asian nations—a “hub and spoke” approach that includes
ASEAN’s Economic Integration
treaty allies the Philippines and Thailand, as well as a close
ASEAN members also play a major role in regional supply
security partnership with Singapore. In recent years, some
chains, and U.S. companies are major investors in several
U.S. officials have spoken of a need to strengthen the
of the 10 ASEAN economies. ASEAN has an internal free
region’s multilateral institutions as well, including ASEAN.
trade agreement (the ASEAN FTA, or AFTA). In
The Trump Administration, however, appears less focused
December 2015, the group launched an ASEAN Economic
on multilateral institutions than was its predecessor.
Community (AEC) that promotes further trade
liberalization measures and regulatory harmonization
There has been a proliferation of ASEAN-centered regional
among ASEAN’s members, with the goal of creating a
groupings over the past two decades, and the group’s
single ASEAN market and integrated manufacturing base.
member governments regularly state their intention to
Observers note that the AEC goes only partway toward this
maintain what they call “ASEAN Centrality” in the
goal, and that ASEAN nations may pursue further reforms
evolving regional architecture. The ASEAN Regional
in the years ahead.
Forum (ARF), established in 1994 with 26 Asian and
Pacific states plus the EU, was formed to facilitate dialogue
ASEAN has trade agreements with several Asian partners,
on political and security matters. The ASEAN+3 (China,
including Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and
Japan, and South Korea) was created in 1997, partly as a
South Korea. ASEAN and those six nations are also
response to the Asian financial crisis, and partly as a way to
pursuing a regional trade agreement known as the Regional
balance and involve northeast Asian powers in the security
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which
dialogue process. The East Asia Summit, created in 2005,
does not include the United States. Four ASEAN nations—
is an evolving institution with a varied agenda, in which the
Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam—were members
United States gained membership in October 2010. In
of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade
addition to the ASEAN+3 members, the EAS includes
agreement, from which the United States withdrew in
Australia, New Zealand, India, Russia, and the United
January 2017. The remaining members continue to pursue a
States. The ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus
renamed Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific
(ADMM+) was established in 2010 and has emerged as an
Partnership (CPTPP) without U.S. participation.
active multilateral security forum that brings senior defense
officials together regularly and hosts multilateral military
ASEAN and Human Rights
exercises in a range of areas including humanitarian relief,
Human rights conditions in several ASEAN members have
disaster management, cybersecurity and maritime security.
long been a concern for the United States and international
The Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF),
NGOs, and sometimes among the group’s own members.
created in 2012, is an effort to address maritime security
While some ASEAN members, such as Indonesia and the
issues at working levels.
Philippines, have thriving democracies, others, including
Laos and Vietnam, are effectively one-party states with
ASEAN and the South China Sea
dubious human rights records. Human rights advocates are
Tensions surrounding longstanding territorial disputes over
deeply concerned about Burma’s treatment of its Rohingya
waters and land features in the South China Sea have been
and other ethnic minorities, the Cambodian government’s
the most contentious issues addressed by ASEAN in recent
intimidation of its political opposition, thousands of extra-
years. These tensions illustrate the difficulty of marshaling
judicial killings under the Philippines’ anti-drug program,
ASEAN’s diverse membership to act in concert. Four
and moves by Thailand’s military government, in power
members—Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and
since a 2014 coup, to muzzle criticism.
Vietnam—have territorial disputes with China (as well as
with each other) in the South China Sea. However,
ASEAN’s 2007 Charter attempts to bring some amount of
observers say some other members, particularly Cambodia
pressure to bear upon member states on human rights, but
and Laos, but also Thailand and possibly disputants such as
progress has been limited. The charter created a formal
the Philippines and Malaysia, may see their economic links
Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights, but the
to China as obstacles to pursuing a more unified ASEAN
body has been criticized by some human rights
response to Chinese assertions.
organizations as largely symbolic. One of the initiatives
undertaken by the U.S. mission to ASEAN, along with
In 2002, ASEAN and China agreed to a non-binding
other missions, is to foster networks of civil society groups
Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South
within ASEAN nations so as to build capacity among non-
China Sea, in which they agreed to “resolve their territorial
governmental actors.
and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, without
resorting to the threat or use of force,” to “exercise self-
Ben Dolven, Specialist in Asian Affairs
restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate
or escalate disputes,” and to work toward the creation of a
IF10348
formal Code of Conduct that would govern activities in the
region. ASEAN and China resumed discussion of such a
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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
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