BETWEEN GIANTS, ASEAN WILL OVERCOME

Posted by Nenden AsiaViews | Dec 3, 2018 | ASEAN, Opinions, Regions, Viewpoints | 0 |

ASEAN member countries, Aug 2006. Wikimedia Commons

By Wilfrido V. Villacorta

The Philippine Daily Inquirer-Nov 24, 2018

During the latest Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, the list of pressing issues facing the region was overwhelming. The reflex response of skeptics was to predict the weakening of the organization. However, these fears are dictated by a misreading of the players and nature of the challenges at hand. I am confident that not only will the ASEAN survive the demands and obstacles thrust into it, but it will ably balance the interests of the big powers and effectively manage pressures from them.

First published in: The Philippine Daily Inquirer