The 47th ASEAN Summit in 2025 has attracted global attention with the attendance of key world leaders. The presence of the US, UK, Australia, and Japan’s heads of government marks the summit’s significance. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi participates virtually while Chinese Premier Xi Jinping is absent. The summit occurs amid rising geopolitical tensions and regional conflicts in Southeast Asia. It is seen as important event to reaffirm ASEAN’s role in a rapidly changing Indo-Pacific landscape.
ASEAN’s Strategic Importance in 2025
ASEAN remains Asia’s most influential regional bloc. It acts as a platform for dialogue and cooperation among ten Southeast Asian nations. The summit’s high-profile attendance signals ASEAN’s continuing geopolitical relevance. The inclusion of East Timor as a new member reflects ASEAN’s openness to expanding its partnerships. The bloc serves as a critical bridge between major powers and smaller nations in the Indo-Pacific.
Regional Security Challenges
Southeast Asia faces multiple security issues. Myanmar’s civil conflict persists despite ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus adopted in 2021. Member states remain divided on how to engage with the Myanmar regime. The South China Sea dispute is another major challenge. Territorial claims and confrontations between China and ASEAN members, especially the Philippines, continue unabated. Efforts to finalise a Code of Conduct with China have stalled after two decades of talks.
Geopolitical Rivalries and ASEAN’s Role
The summit reflects the ongoing contest between the US and China for influence in the Indo-Pacific. ASEAN is caught in the middle of this rivalry. The bloc must balance relations with both powers while protecting its unity. India’s virtual participation underlines its commitment to the Act East policy. India views ASEAN as vital to its Indo-Pacific strategy, focusing on trade, connectivity, and maritime security.
India-ASEAN Relations
India is ASEAN’s fourth-largest trading partner. The partnership is strategic as well as economic. ASEAN acts as a gateway for India’s engagement with the broader Indo-Pacific region. However, India faces challenges in transforming diplomatic statements into tangible outcomes. Strengthening cooperation in infrastructure, security, and trade remains a priority for both sides.
Future Outlook for ASEAN Unity and Influence
ASEAN’s credibility depends on its ability to manage internal divisions and external pressures. The summit tests the bloc’s capacity to address regional conflicts and geopolitical rivalries. Success will enhance ASEAN’s role as a stabilising force in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific. Failure could weaken its standing and invite greater external interference.
Questions for UPSC:
- Critically analyse the role of ASEAN in maintaining regional security in the Indo-Pacific with suitable examples.
- Comment on the impact of great power rivalries between the United States and China on Southeast Asian geopolitics.
- Explain the significance of India’s Act East policy and its implications for India-ASEAN relations.
- What are the challenges faced by multilateral organisations like ASEAN in resolving internal conflicts? Discuss with reference to Myanmar and the South China Sea dispute.
Answer Hints:
1. Critically analyse the role of ASEAN in maintaining regional security in the Indo-Pacific with suitable examples.
- ASEAN acts as a platform for dialogue and conflict management among Southeast Asian nations.
- Adopted the Five-Point Consensus in 2021 to address Myanmar’s civil conflict, though with limited success.
- Facilitates negotiations on the South China Sea dispute, aiming for a Code of Conduct with China.
- Maintains neutrality to balance relations between major powers (US, China) in the region.
- Challenges include internal divisions and limited enforcement power over member states.
- Example – Continued diplomatic engagement despite escalating China-Philippines maritime confrontations.
2. Comment on the impact of great power rivalries between the United States and China on Southeast Asian geopolitics.
- Southeast Asia is a strategic arena for US-China competition influencing regional alliances.
- ASEAN countries face pressure to align with either power, risking bloc unity.
- US promotes freedom of navigation and counters China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea.
- China leverages economic investments and territorial claims to expand influence.
- Great power rivalry exacerbates regional tensions and complicates conflict resolution.
- ASEAN’s diplomatic balancing act aims to avoid becoming a proxy battleground.
3. Explain the significance of India’s Act East policy and its implications for India-ASEAN relations.
- Act East policy aims to deepen economic, strategic, and cultural ties with Southeast Asia.
- ASEAN is India’s fourth-largest trading partner, vital for trade and connectivity.
- India views ASEAN as a strategic anchor in its Indo-Pacific vision and maritime security.
- India’s participation in ASEAN summits signals commitment despite geopolitical challenges.
- Challenges remain in translating diplomatic goodwill into concrete infrastructure and security cooperation.
- Strengthening India-ASEAN ties helps counterbalance China’s regional dominance.
4. What are the challenges faced by multilateral organisations like ASEAN in resolving internal conflicts? Discuss with reference to Myanmar and the South China Sea dispute.
- ASEAN’s principle of non-interference limits its ability to intervene decisively in member states’ internal issues.
- Myanmar’s ongoing civil war exposes divisions among members on engagement versus exclusion.
- Failure to enforce the Five-Point Consensus marks limitations in conflict resolution mechanisms.
- South China Sea disputes involve external powers, complicating ASEAN’s mediation role.
- Two decades of stalled negotiations on a Code of Conduct reveal challenges in consensus-building.
- Internal divisions and competing national interests weaken ASEAN’s collective response capacity.
