From Asean to an East Asian Community? the Role of Functional Co-operation

At the 7 ASEAN Summit (November 2001) the leaders of the ASEAN countries were presented with the report of the East Asian Vision Group (EAVG). This report laid down a road map for future regional integration efforts across East Asia. Firmly prioritising economic, rather than political, integrative processes, the EAVG report placed a premium on functional co-operation to provide regional peace and stability. Given the potential of the EAVG report to substantially advance East Asian regionalism but also recognising previous failures of ASEAN to fully realise opportunities, it is an appropriate moment to critically evaluate the role functional cooperation will have in forging an East Asian community. Beginning with an overview of East Asian regionalisation to date, but particularly since 1997, this paper will adopt the core areas of the EAVG report and examine their potential for deepening regional community-building endeavours. During this examination this paper will develop three main, inter-related arguments: (1) that there is an identifiable and sustainable trend within the region towards the development of an East Asian Community, (2) ASEAN is the core element of this trend – resulting in a Community that will be operationalised along ASEAN norms of consensus and non-interference, but (3) that these norms are changing to allow limited restrictions on member states. The paper will offer a preliminary analysis of the viability of ASEAN+3 in developing a regional community in East Asia, and conclude with a look at what guise such a community might assume.