Geopolitics in North Asia
and ASEAN + 3
Lecturer: Dr. Masayo Goto

2
Military parade in Russia commemorating the 50th anniversary of winning WWII

Summary
1. What is geopolitics?
2. ASEAN

3. ASEAN + 3
4. ASEAN + 3 Summit
5. US and ASEAN 3

Geopolitics
Geopolitics includes all aspects of the social scienceswith particular emphasis on political geography,international relations, the territorial aspects of politicalscience and international law.
Is geopolitics still relevant in North Asia?
 In the North Asia region geopolitics is still relevant.
 The region remains within a Cold Framework
 The role of the US as an economic and security
stabiliser and „protector‟ remains paramount.
 China and Japan are locked in a regional economicand diplomatic competition.

ASEAN(The Association of Southeast Asian Nations)Ten ASEAN member states

Origins of ASEAN ASEAN was founded in Bangkok in 1967.

 First members were Indonesia, Malaysia, thePhilippines, Singapore and Thailand.
 Main anti-communist countries of southeast Asia

ASEAN’s early aims were modest
 To make permanent the settlement of the conflict

between Indonesia and Malaysia.
 To ensure there were no further serious territorial
disputes between members.
 To make economic development in a peacefulenvironment the main aim.
 To reduce and eventually eliminate foreign militarybases while remaining pro-Western.

The important principles of ASEAN
 It was a southeast Asian organisation, so nomembers from outside.
 Non-interference in each country‟s domestic.
 Emphasis on economic development and disputeresolution.

ASEAN and Asian Security
 ZOPFAN 1971
 Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality

 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) 1976 The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) 1994

ZOPFAN ASEAN responded with its Zone of Peace, Freedomand Neutrality (ZOPFAN) Declaration in 1971 after
it was clear that the US would pull out of Vietnam tokeep southeast Asia „free from any form or mannerof interference by outside Powers‟.
 This was directed mainly against China and theUSSR. It was telling them to stay out of southeast
Asia after the US left Vietnam.

Treaty of Amity and Cooperation
The purpose of the Treaty is to promote perpetualpeace, everlasting amity and cooperation among thepeoples of Southeast Asiaa. Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality,territorial integrity and national identity of all nations
b. The right of every State to lead its national existence free fromexternal interference, subversion or coersion
c. Non-interference in the internal affairs of one anotherd. Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful means
e. Renunciation of the threat or use of force
f. Effective cooperation among themselves

The ASEAN Regional Forum This was ASEAN‟s response to the reality that regional

problems needed outside assistance to be resolved (theCambodian Civil War was ended in 1989 by UN intervention led byAustralia and Japan).
 It was a revival of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization(SEATO) concept (collective defence Treaty), except that
SEATO had been a Cold War alliance and led by the US.
 The ARF is not a strong military alliance and only involves
annual meetings of foreign ministers.
 Confidence-building.
 Preventive diplomacy.
 Development of a conflict resolution capability.
 ARF now comprises 27 countries

ASEAN Expansion
 Brunei joined in 1984
 Vietnam joined in 1995

 Laos and Burma in 1997
 Cambodia in 1989
 East Timor applied to join in 2006 and probably will

be admitted about 2011 The big problem actually has been BurmaBurma issues
1. The Myanmar‟s domestic politics has impacted thesecurity of ASEAN as a whole.
ASEAN is trying to seek pardon for Myanmar‟s prodemocracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi after a court sentenced
her to an additional 18 months of house detention, seek
release all political prisoners, hold general elections andfoster national reconciliation.

2. Military ties between Myanmar and North Korea
http://news.google.com.au/news?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENAU318&q=ASEAN+summit&lr=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=kDiHSsRdhqqyA_nl0OYC&sa=X&oi=news_group&ct=title&resnum=1

The US is increasingly concerned that nuclear-armed North
Korea is building mysterious military ties with Burma - Burmaand North Korea extend to possible nuclear cooperation.

Achievements of ASEAN
 It did help prevent communism spreading beyond theformer French Indo-China after 1975.
 It has presided over increasing democratisation in theregion.
 It has helped establish a loose security regime for theregion which has the respect of the great powers.
 It has kept the military forces of the great powers out of the.
 It has helped establish a sense of southeast Asian identity.
 It has begun the process of economic integration, withmoves to a Free Trade Area beginning as early as 1992.

Regionalism: ASEAN plus 3(ASEAN, China, Japan, South Korea)

ASEAN plus 3
 initially aimed at exploring common interests and identity
 institutes a collective Asian economic and geopolitical voicefor the 10 ASEAN states plus the 3 Northeast Asian states ofChina, Japan and South Korea
 weaken the prospects of trans-Pacific cooperation ⇒inevitably generate opposition and pressure from the UnitedStates on regional allies
i.e. Malaysia has strongly supported an Asian community which aims tocombine both a resistance to the dominance of Western values and thecreation of a mechanism to facilitate regional economic growth (In 1990,Malaysia proposed an East Asian Economic Grouping (EAEG) designed
to be solely AsianASEAN + 3 Summit
 The ASEAN + 3 cooperation began in December 1997 with theconvening of an informal Summit among the Leaders of
ASEAN and their counterparts from East Asia, namely China,
Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) at the sidelines of theSecond ASEAN Informal Summit in Malaysia.
 The ASEAN + 3 process was institutionalised in 1999.
 ASEAN + 3 have cooperated in addressing the threat posed byterrorism and other transnational crimes in eight areas(terrorism, illicit drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, sea
piracy, arms smuggling, money laundering, international
economic crime, and cyber crime)Japan and ASEAN 1
 Japan's formal relationship with ASEAN dates back to 1977, when thenPrime Minister Fukuda met with ASEAN leaders.
 Prime Minister Koizumi in 2001 urged greater cooperation on global
issues such as counter-terrorism, anti-piracy, environmental protection,and preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
 ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit was held in Tokyo in 2003 andunveiled the Japan-ASEAN Plan of Action (to address future relations in
the fields of economics and finance, politics and security, as well as
exchanges and cultural cooperation).
 In 2004, Japan acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation inSoutheast Asia (TAC) - a milestone in Japan-ASEAN security relations.
 In 2004, adopted the ASEAN-Japan Joint Declaration for Cooperation toCombat International Terrorism.
 In 2006, Established the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) toaddress global issues (terrorism).

Japan and ASEAN 2
 Japan has not been an active supporter of the new

regionalism and that “the challenge for theJapanese government is to counter this drive forregionalism”.
 Japan possesses an obligation to the region as anadvanced country to support ASEAN＋3

China and ASEAN China entered into TAC in 2003.
 China strongly supports the ASEAN＋3 concept forreasons based on maximising its own economic
development and the facilitation of regional integration
 ASEAN receives benefits from Chinese economic
development through regionalism -East Asian states
would view China more favourably and with lessapprehension
 The key to East Asian regionalism is the improvementof relations with Japan ??

Korea and ASEAN
ROK has strengthened its political and security
relations with ASEAN ⇒ further contributed toregional peace and stability.
 Joined ARF in 1994 Entered into TAC in 2004.
 The ASEAN-ROK Joint Declaration for Cooperation
to Combat International Terrorism in 2005 ⇒strengthened cooperation in combating international
terrorism.
 ROK is an active supporter for ASEAN + 3

US and ASEAN + 3
 ASEAN and North Asia are nested within the overall

structure of a U.S.-enforced and sustained regional
security order since the late 19th century
 The nontraditional security agenda has demonstrated
the limits to ASEAN‟s regional order maintenance (noASEAN member would seriously consider the use of military force as ameans of solving disputes within the region)
↓“The ASEAN Way”
(informal, consensus-oriented and non-confrontational diplomacy)
US will remain as a “Hyper Power” in the region?
China will seek leadership in the region?

Concluding Comments
Why is this so important?
ASEAN +3 summit and increased institutionalised dialogue
between China, Japan and South Korea highlights
 The importance of geopolitics in the region.
 An incremental shift towards regional cooperation between thethree countries (without a US presence) Further isolation for Taiwan
 China‟s leadership aspirations
 Japan‟s inability to translate economic power into political clout.

End of Lecture