Jakarta (ANTARA) - All partner countries, including China and the United States, attended the 2023 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Jakarta this week to support and respect ASEAN centrality.Southeast Asian countries emphasized the centrality of ASEAN when regional and global dynamics require this bloc to embrace a common mechanism to achieve common interests. The ASEAN Charter clearly states that ASEAN's main goal is to maintain the bloc's centrality and a proactive role as the main driver of relations and cooperation with external partners in an open, transparent, and inclusive regional architecture. The concept of ASEAN centrality, as stated in the ASEAN Outlook in the Indo-Pacific, must become the dominant regional platform for addressing common challenges and interacting with forces outside the region. Since taking on the position of chairman of ASEAN 2023, Indonesia has emphasized this concept strongly, and it is indeed increasingly vital, given that Southeast Asia is striving to be pulled back and forth by the world's dominant powers, especially China and the United States. Ironically, the two superpowers accuse each other of trying to co-opt ASEAN. The two countries even appear to be attempting to prevent ASEAN from leaning towards one of them. China appears to be dominant in wanting to see the ASEAN disengage from the United States in order to get rid of the influence of its main competitor country, even though its method is quite gentle through an economic approach. On the other hand, the United States is seemingly keen to make the ASEAN a stronghold against China's competition on various fronts, from politics and security to the economy. In Jakarta, during the series of the 43rd ASEAN Summit this week, the stance of the two countries became increasingly tough in spite of wrapping up the tough stance with a commitment to a stronger relationship with the ASEAN. This can be seen, among other things, from China's strong message that reminded ASEAN to not be provoked by external actors so as not to turn Southeast Asia into a new area of conflict. Chinese Premier Li Qiang even reminded Southeast Asia to avoid a "new Cold War" in this region. At the ASEAN-China Summit yesterday, Li stated that all countries must deal with differences and disputes properly. "At the moment, it is imperative to reject taking sides, bloc confrontation and new Cold War," Li stated at the ASEAN-China Summit, Wednesday (Sept 6). Li's remark is an affirmation of the equally strong statement by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a conference organized by an Indonesian think tank on September 3. At that time, Wang reminded ASEAN to not be made a pawn by external forces.
Source: Antara News Agency