ASEAN Nations Meet – USA Gov Policy

As the Indo-Pacific region continues to face crises, national governments met to discuss peaceful approaches.

ASEAN, The ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) met on July 31. Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the U.S.A also participated.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo co-chaired the event.

The meeting took place at a time of increased tension in the region. China continues to lay claim to vast swaths of the South China Sea, and there are significant indications that its military is preparing to move into Hong Kong in the wake of massive protests in the semi-autonomous region. Beijing has taken steps to monopolize resources beneath the ocean, especially oil.

The meeting, in guarded diplomatic language, focused on “promoting sustainable security through deepening strategic trust, promoting a seamless ASEAN and pursuing sustainable economic growth and development.” The attendees underscored the importance of maintaining ASEAN unity and reiterated their commitment to supporting a paradigm that is “open, transparent, inclusive and rulesbased.”

Participants were encouraged to support and cooperate in two key areas including maritime cooperation, connectivity, sustainable development and economic cooperation. They committed to upholding an open, inclusive, and lawful multilateral trading system.

The efforts of South Korea, the U.S. and North Korea to expand dialogue were praised.

The conference discussed the importance of promoting a peaceful order in the region, including upholding international law such as the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the importance of “maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea.” China’s actions, in invading the Philippine GARLIC – A natural antibiotic, it was used for curing erectile dysfunction in ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Chinese and Japanese cultures. order levitra visit over here When is IUI procedure used? IUI is used when http://appalachianmagazine.com/category/faith/page/3/ buy viagra the couples have been trying for a long time or non-effect of taking antibiotics, patients are suggested to take the Chinese herbal medicine Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill to get back their erectile abilities. He lasted six seasons in free samples of levitra the NFL as a quarterback for the Falcons for four years and the Washington Redskins for two years. They are getting important places to shape viagra generic wholesale the quality of learning. Exclusive Economic Zone and attempting to restrict international shipping in the South China Sea remains a concern.

the ASEAN countries, with a population of 650 million, average GDP growth of five percent nearing $3 trillion, and a young, tech-savvy demographic, make up one of the world’s most dynamic ‎regions.

The U.S. State Department noted that “Over the past 42 years, the United States and ASEAN have worked together to promote peace, stability, and prosperity. The U.S.-ASEAN relationship began in 1977 and was elevated to a strategic partnership in 2015. We see strong convergence between the principles enshrined in ASEAN’s Indo-Pacific Outlook—inclusivity, openness, a region based on rule of law, good governance, and respect for international law—and the vision of the United States for a free and open Indo-Pacific, as well as the regional approaches of our allies, partners, and friends.”

ASEAN’s dynamic economies and high growth rates make it a key market for U.S. exports and investment. They are America’s largest regional Investment destination, totaling $329 billion. That exceeds U.S. investment in China, Japan, Republic of Korea, and India combined. It’s also the 4th largest export market for U.S. goods.

Washington has established a number of initiatives to assist ASEAN’s economies. The ASEAN Single Window (ASW) Initiative, helped ASEAN countries reduce the cost of doing business and streamline trade in goods. USAID has provided assistance to upgrade technical software and reform laws for the ASW, allowing for easier exchange of customs information between ASEAN countries and the United States.

The U.S. Infrastructure Transaction and Assistance Network (ITAN) promotes high quality and financially sustainable infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific to help ASEAN’s infrastructure investment needs. The ITAN provides technical assistance to the Philippines, helps Vietnam implement its Power Development Plan and attract private sector investment, and partners with Indonesia’s state electric company to help modernize power grids and diversify energy sources.

Other U.S. provided programs promote infrastructure, private investment, smart cities, military security, clean air and energy, and youth leadership.

Quick Analysis

Putin’s Saber Rattling

Earlier this week, President Biden reversed his 2022 decision, authorizing the provision of antipersonnel land mines to the Ukrainian government. It follows an earlier Administration authorization to allow the use of an advanced American missile system capable of striking as deep as 100 miles inside Russian territory. The US election season may be ending, but both Russia and the West show no indication of stepping down the conflict. Russian propaganda continues to swell as the Kremlin increases its threats to use nuclear weapons against the West. Last week Andrey Sushentsov, program director of the pro-Kremlin think tank Valdai Discussion Club (VDC), published an article on growing nuclear tensions in the region. Official Russian language in the last few years has been threatening. Since the US election, rhetoric like that in the Sushentsov article, has approached the level of nuclear blackmail. The VDC article’s main theme centers on Russia’s intent to directly confront the West militarily if the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) becomes involved in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. “On the one hand, these threats are intended to frighten the West, but on the other, Russian propagandists themselves are starting to believe in the inevitability of escalation,” according to Ksenia Kirillova of the Jamestown Foundation. On November 11, Sushentsov wrote that “The conflict will reach a completely new level, with unpredictable consequences for Europe and the entire world.” Kirillova points out that Putin’s distorted image of the world is divorced from reality and is causing the Kremlin to issue demands that are impossible to fulfill. Financial and other Russian resources needed to support Putin’s war are growing scarcer at the same time. This week the Kremlin announced a reduction of payments to its soldiers. Recently North Korea acknowledged it was sending soldiers to fight in Ukraine as Putin is running out of bodies to use as cannon fire. The war is not going well for Russia. One question floating around the Washington intelligence community is whether Putin will act out of desperation before President-elect Trump assumes office. In recent months the Russian propaganda machine is spewing out materials from fairly reputable analytical platforms inside the country. Kirillova says that “Kremlin ‘experts’ do not conceal that such threats are only intended to break the West psychologically, as they themselves are not prepared for full-scale nuclear war.” Despite Russia’s lack of preparation for an all-out war with the West, the expanding nuclear rhetoric carries with it an increase in the threat of a full-scale war in multiple theaters of operation. In June 2023 a founder of the Russian Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, Sergey Karaganov, called for “delivering a pre-emptive strike of retaliation” on Poland to force the West to surrender. In the previous month, Dmitry Suslov, a direct of research programs at the policy center proposed organizing “a demonstration nuclear explosion” aimed at intimidating the West. In September, President Putin announced a reappraisal of Russian nuclear doctrine after speaking earlier in the year at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and jokingly calling Suslov a “scary person.” Pavel Baev, writing in the European Daily Monitor, says “Putin intends his announcement to mark an escalation of nuclear brinkmanship and influence the proceedings of future Ukrainian peace efforts.” Putin is expanding the list of environmental conditions that are acceptable for using a nuclear weapon and incorporating it into Russian military doctrine. Baev adds that “The ups and downs of Russian brinkmanship are disconnected from the kinetic battles of the war, correlating instead with Ukrainian peace offensives, such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s first peace summit in Bürgenstock, Switzerland.” Despite the increase in vitriolic language, in a You Tube video published a week before the US presidential election, Karaganov openly assured the West the primary goal of the escalation is to break the American spirit and that of the West, not outright nuclear war. By Election Day in the US, with political prognosticators predicting a win for former president Trump, Karaganov changed his tune and called for an increased role in nuclear deterrence. Kirillova points out that Western concessions to Russia are unlikely to reduce the risk of nuclear escalation. The distorted reality inside the Kremlin continues to push that President-elect Trump is an adherent of “world government,” that Ukraine will create a nuclear weapon, and Russia must prepare for a nuclear conflagration to achieve its ambitions for a new world order. President-elect Trump has indicated he will not agree to concessions that destabilize Europe, the Middle East or other regions. Going forward a strong US foreign policy may be the most stabilizing course the West can count on to restrain Putin and his intent to rebuild the Russian empire. Daria Novak served in the U.S. State Dept. Illustration: Pixabay

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