As tensions between world powers continue as more nations attempt to entice themselves into the Indo-Pacific band, Southeast Asia ‘s , best diplomats expressed their concerns over the weekend about the possibility of an “emerging arms competition” in the region.
Self-restraint, adherence to international laws and dialogue-led proposals using , ASEAN , systems must be exercised to avoid an open fight,  , ASEAN , officials reiterated in a mutual statement released on Saturday after their annual week-long ministerial conferences with partnering nations including , the United States,  , China , and , Russia.
China ‘s , rapid rise to superpower status in the past decade has rearranged much of the world’s geopolitical landscape, forcing Southeast Asian countries to grapple with the tensions emerging from , Beijing ‘s , increasingly active foreign policy and its subsequent resistance from existing hegemon , Washington, a competition of influence that has so far tested the limits of diplomacy.
With increased surveillance alliances, surging defense activities and more frequent aggressive incidents immediately becoming among the country’s most distinctive characteristics,  , ASEAN , foreign ministers urged, in the communique, that world powers do what they must to de-escalate and keep the area completely from weapons of mass destruction.
The officials expressed concern about the potential negative effects of automatic weapons systems, including the risk of an emerging culture, which could lower the threshold for conflict and proliferation, in addition to the officials ‘ concerns.
There have been more foreign passions solidifying their positions in the Indo-Pacific in recent years, a trend that has been widely accepted as accelerating existing tensions that were originally brought on by the US-China conflict, than by ASEAN’s efforts to establish its dominance in the region.
Australia , and the , United Kingdom, for example, formed a triad with the US ( AUKUS) in 2021 to bring nuclear-powered submarines into the region, just a few years before the , Australia-India-Japan-US security pact ( Quad ) was revived after having lain dormant for over a decade.
The , North Atlantic Treaty Organization , ( NATO ) in July also expressed its interest in increasing its engagement in the region.
In reply,  , China , has more recently appeared to try to improve its energy alliances, aligning itself more closely with , Russia, another big nuclear weapon-holding strength at odds with the West, to defend its presence in the region.
At the week-long , ASEAN , deals in , Vientiane , last week, Chinese Foreign Minister , Wang Yi , met with his Russian counterpart , Sergei Lavrov, where the two reiterated their commitment to “firmly support each other]and ] safeguard each other’s key interests”.
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” Russia , will work with , China , to support , ASEAN ‘s , central position and prevent sabotage and interference by extraterritorial forces”, said a Chinese official statement on Friday.
” Russia , and , China , have been working in tandem on building a unipolar world order with better fairness for all, guided by the concept of real multilateralism”, Lavrov said two days earlier.
AOIP rules
Expressing their concern over these latest developments,  , ASEAN , ministers once again underlined the bloc’s primacy in the region.
It urged its partners to adhere to its Indo-Pacific ( AOIP ) outlook, which encourages regional cooperation and dialogue in the context of development and places regional cooperation back in the context of development.
We expressed concern about the region’s growing geopolitical tensions. ]… ] We underscored , ASEAN ‘s , determination in shaping and leading the evolving regional architecture]and to ] ensure that the geopolitical and geostrategic shifts will continue to bring about, and not disrupt, regional peace, security and prosperity”, the ministers said.
Included in , ASEAN ‘s , vision for the region is accession to the , Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone , ( SEANWFZ ) Treaty by countries internationally recognized as nuclear-weapon states ( NWS), given their increased presence in the region, a protocol that has seen little progress in the past two decades.
” We expressed concern over the declining commitment and cooperation in global non-proliferation ]… ] and called on countries, especially NWS, to maintain and fully implement their commitments” , , ASEAN , ministers said.
On the issue of the , South China Sea, where , Beijing ‘s , sweeping maritime claim has turned the strategic waters into a theater of the US-China rivalry,  , ASEAN , urged” the importance of non-militarization and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities ]… ] that could further complicate the situation and escalate tensions”.
Next leadership
Analysts have previously warned that ASEAN will need a firmer and more united approach in light of these geopolitical trends.
They claimed that only a regional solution could ease the tensions because none of the member states have the same level of individual power as major powers and can only deal with them bilaterally.
ASEAN , leaders have been slated to continue the discussions at the highest level in October, when the baton of , ASEAN , leadership will be passed on to , Malaysia, which has declared its eagerness to take advantage of the recent discussions to negotiate for a stable region.
” Malaysia , will continue to work closely with , ASEAN , member states to make , ASEAN , an important bloc in the global political and economic system with various advantages possessed by each of its member countries”, said its foreign minister , Mohamad Hasan, as quoted by Malaysian state media.
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