15113966 October 28, 2017

The ASEAN 50th Year Summit in a Liberal Theory Perspective

This paper seeks to understand the article written by Junie Del Mundo entitled Building

Partnerships in ASEAN and Beyond. The claims of the author will be analyzed to classify if his arguments

are captured by a liberalist theory in international relations. While the focal point is the main article of

Del Mundo, the peripheral will be the ASEAN itself to have a background about the Association of South

East Asian Nations. Hence,

In 1967, the Association of South East Asian Nations was established in Bangkok, Thailand. Its

founding fathers are the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Soon after that, Brunei

Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia associated with the organization. As ASEAN is an

established association, its purpose is to: (1) accelerate economic growth, (2) social progress, (3) cultural

development and (4) to promote regional peace and security.

Cox argued that liberals looked forward to a more peaceful and prosperous world. Liberals have

visions of security, stability and economic order. Del Mundo (2017) said that ASEAN still holds on to the

values that have nurture it from the beginning the values of respect, trust and cooperation. From this,

it can be understood that there is a firm relation between Coxs argument and Del Mundos statement.

The ASEANs values or principles are factors to fulfill the visions of the liberals. Therefore, ASEAN is best

understood in a liberalist perspective.

Before getting to the bottom line of Del Mundos opinion, it is better to breakdown the mentioned

purposes of Association of South East Nations or ASEAN first and how these purposes reflect liberalism.

There is no canonical description of liberalism. What we tend to call liberal resembles a family portrait

of principles and institutions, recognizable by certain characteristics (Doyle 1986, 1152). As Doyle may

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have argued that there is no orthodox accepted idea of liberalism by most people, various concepts of

liberalism will be conjugated to further understand ASEAN in different liberalists ideas.

On economic growth, as this is one of the primary factors why ASEAN hold summits, this is clearly

a liberal idea. Again, as liberals have visions of economic order and economic potential of states,

institutions and international organizations were formed and established to pursue its goal to achieve

economic order and stability. I find economic potential as a massive factor for the states to pursue its

economic stability and progress by forming associations such as ASEAN. In the same way, forming an

association with neighboring states is a great strategy to purse a certain states goal through cooperation

and linkup. Liberal economic theory holds that these cosmopolitan ties derive from a cooperative

international division of labor and free trade according to comparative advantage (Doyle 1986, 1161). As

South East Asia is a diverse region, with its differences which may be inferred as comparative advantage,

the ASEAN is a clear reflection of liberal economic theory where economic situations of the state is said

to be better when there are economic ties. Hence, the ASEAN pursuing economic growth of its

constituents does not just reflect liberal economic theory but also the ASEAN value of cooperation. And

that cooperation is by their economic ties.

On social progress, this focus of the ASEAN may be related to economic growth because theres a

total interaction between society and economics. If the economic situation of a certain state is stable,

then the society will be progressive. Or, on the other hand, the progress of society will result to or is a

result of economic stability.

On cultural development, ASEAN summits also tackles cultural development, and constituents

create programs to enrich diverse cultures. Huntingtons thesis entitled the clash of civilization argues

that the next key conflict in the world is not economic or ideological but cultural (Baylis and Smith, 2001,

117). As culture, reflects characteristics, traits and customs of people or a state, to understand and

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develop the other states culture is a way to contradict Huntingtons argument. Of course, the value of

respect should also be existing in the midst of relations with each other to prevent misunderstanding

which may lead to conflicts. In the same way, to foster peace.

And on regional peace and security, Doyle (1983) asserts that international relations are governed

by perceptions of national security and the balance of power. As the ASEAN is an international

organization, of course, this is involving international relations. Although it should be regional peace, it

still falls with Doyles argument that this organization may be governed by concepts of security and

balance of power. Also, as the nations of ASEAN shares common interests this may be aground for peace.

International respect for individual rights, and shared commercial interests that establish grounds for

peace (Doyle 1986, 1182).

Focusing on Del Mundos article about the ASEAN 50th Year, his article mainly discusses the

primary concerns or focal points of the ASEAN summit this year. Overall, as based from the article,

discussions of the ASEAN summit will focus on innovation, regionalism and people-centered ASEAN.

As time passes by, the world changes as it goes with the flow. As the world continuously changes,

its principles such as respect, trust and cooperation may be going to an opposite direction, but Del Mundo

is still confident with ASEAN. The nations comprising ASEAN are undeterred and determined as ever

eager to build partnerships and break barriers, while shining light on the regions dynamism (Del Mundo

2017). ASEAN holds annual summits to discuss important things to advance the region and its people. And

it is by these summits that blueprints and programs are designed to advance the region.

Again, alongside the change is also change in needs and demands by the people. As we are living

in the age of technology, we must be able to adopt to these changes. There is an urgency to hold this

summit focusing on innovation. This years summit will take note on the need to anticipate the needs of

fast evolving consumers. Economic decisions are predominantly shaped by the forces of supply and

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demand, domestically and internationally (Doyle 1983, p. 208). As the talk about inclusive, innovation-

led growth, ASEAN recognizes the changing demands of the people, whether it may be domestic or

international. From this, there is a linkage between the thought of Doyle and the focal point of one

discussion since the talk is driven by the changing demands or needs which will result to an economic

decision.

According to Stephen Waltz, one strand of liberal thought argued that economic interdependence

would discourage states from using force against each other because warfare would threaten each sides

prosperity. As ASEAN nations are interdependent with one another, annual summits which brings them

together and the organization itself that pursues economic development are indeed factors which would

prevent conflicts and discourage disputes just to advance ones prosperity. This years ASEAN summit

obviously focuses on economic growth is by innovation. Since ASEANs members are interdependent with

one another when it comes to their agendas, the article of Del Mundo clearly has a connection with the

liberal thought of Waltz.

Upon reading the article, it may seem like the piece just mainly discuss the focal points of this

years ASEAN summit and its more centralized on business. But on a deeper thought, if we focus on the

ASEAN values that Del Mundo mentioned in his article being values of respect, trust, and cooperation, it

would be easier to analyze this article in a liberal thought.

Respect has a great impact with international relations. South East Asian Nations being diverse

from language, culture and religion, they may only achieve their goal if they do respect each other from

each others rights and freedom of speech. As the nation from South East Asia are separated by territories

and other unseen barriers, respect will bring them together. Internationally, free speech and he effective

communication of accurate conceptions of the political life of foreign peoples is essential to establish and

preserve the understanding on which the guarantee of respect depends (Doyle 1983, 230). From this, we

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can infer that the continuity of conducting ASEAN summits is only possible by giving respect to one

another. Actually, this view is in relation to war but from that Doyles simple argument, we can draw the

sense of respect with the ASEAN.

Upon criticizing Del Mundos article about the 50th Year of Association of South East Asian Nations

particularly on the building of partnerships in ASEAN, I can say that the main idea of the article may be

considered as a liberal thought yet, not all of his claims can be related or easy to be related with liberalism.

If the article contained claims such as the legacies of ASEAN, or the main purposes of it, the impact of this

organization in international relations, then it can be a lot more related with liberal theories. Honestly, as

Ive read the article of Del Mundo, to me it just gives clear content emphasizing with the focus of the

discussions of the summit. I think Im looking for more statements, maybe an overview from the past

summits or details of executed plans of the ASEAN. In short, I think the article is lacking from more claims

which can be used to analyze the main thought which will support a certain liberal thought.

But, if we are to analyze Del Mundos statement regarding the values of ASEAN which are respect,

trust and cooperation, I can see this as an advantage of the article to classify this as an article which

captures the liberal thought. From these mentioned values, one person may think that these values are

from liberalism. In the same way, when we analyze these values deeper on how it affects or how it makes

an impact with ASEAN, there would be a clearer explanation on how these values are classified to be

liberalism.

Briefly, the article of Del Mundo may be lacking from more sufficient facts and basis to qualify this

article as a thought in a liberalists point of view. But, the very advantage that there are considerable

factors and the values of ASEAN nations emphasized by the author are genuine reflections of liberalism in

the article entitled Building partnerships in ASEAN and beyond. Therefore, this article is indeed is

captured by liberal International Relations theory.

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References:

Baylis, John, and Steve Smith. (2001). The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction

to International Relations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Del Mundo, Junie. (2017). Building partnerships in ASEAN and beyond.

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Opinion&title=building-

partnerships-in-asean-and-beyond&id=149414.

Doyle, Michael. (1986). Liberalism and World Politics. Volume 80, No. 4, pp. 1151-1169.

United States of America: American Political Science Association.

Doyle, Michael. (1983). Kant, Liberal Legacies and Foreign Affairs. Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 205-

235. Wiley Publishing.