PUTRAJAYA, March 3 – As the chairman of ASEAN in 2015, Malaysia will lead ASEAN’s 10-member countries in community-building economic integration as well as regional architecture. China, as one of the key dialogue partners of ASEAN in ASEAN+3, has also played a particularly important role in the integration and institutionalization of the Southeast Asian grouping, said by Dr Kuik Cheng-Chwee, the speaker for China-ASEAN Integration Forum held in Putrajaya last Thursday. 3 representatives from IRIS Institute has been invited to be part of the forum and actively participate in the process.
Dr Kuik also mentions that it is important to explore the shifting dynamics and sources of China’s role in ASEAN integration throughout the post-Cold War era. The session highlights that while power asymmetry and geographical proximity have been 2 major factors behind the dynamics, there are other variables at work in driving and limitating China’’s role in the process. These forces include big power politics, intra-ASEAN differences, and the extent of convergence of interest between the 2 sides in facing certain emerging issues at a given juncture.
The session ends at 12.30pm. This forum was organized by Razak School of Government, which is the premier training and research institute for public sector leadership in policy and service deliveries in Malaysia.
