Question

Determine the contribution of 'ASEAN security community' in its promotion of economic progress.

Hint:

Think of the ASEAN Security Community as the security guard of a shopping mall. Its job is not to sell goods (which is the job of the Economic Community), but to keep the premises safe and orderly so that businesses can trade and flourish without fear.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Link Between Security and Economics:
In 2003, ASEAN decided to establish an ASEAN Community built on three pillars: the ASEAN Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. Economic growth and integration cannot occur in a region destabilized by military conflicts, territorial disputes, or arms races. The ASEAN Security Community serves as the indispensable structural bedrock upon which economic progress is achieved.

Step 2: Contribution 1 --- Maintaining Regional Stability and Preventing Territorial Conflict:
• Mechanism: The Security Community is anchored in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). Under these frameworks, member states explicitly renounce the use of force, commit to peaceful settlement of disputes, and agree to keep the region free of weapons of mass destruction.
• Economic Impact: By keeping bilateral disputes (such as overlapping claims in the South China Sea) from boiling over into wars, the Security Community ensures that trade routes, shipping lanes, and economic zones remain open, safe, and fully operational. This predictability acts as a massive magnet for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Step 3: Contribution 2 --- Engaging External Global Powers and Fostering a Secure Business Climate:
• Mechanism: Through the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Security Community coordinates security and defense policies involving major external powers like the United States, China, Japan, India, and Russia.
• Economic Impact: By acting as a neutral mediator and locking these economic giants into a cooperative security dialogue, ASEAN prevents the region from becoming a battlefield for superpower proxy wars. This geopolitical stability is a prerequisite for long-term transnational business investments, tourism, and regional financial integration, allowing the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) to thrive.