ASEAN round-up

• China was not impressed with that meeting in the Philippines… In an article headlined, “ASEAN’s united front against China does not exist” (26 Sep), the People’s Daily argues: “The Philippines has lost its cool over the territorial disputes. It clamors for a united ASEAN front to blunt China, which appears to be diplomatic illusion… There is no collective will to unite and confront China… The Philippines does not have the willpower to sacrifice its relationship with China and become involved in an armed standoff. Seeking ASEAN help to isolate China is pure nationalist fantasy.”
• Sam Bateman, meanwhile (29 Sep), notes that discussions over the South China Sea are confused by two crucial points: “The first is the mistaken notion that sovereignty over the islands and reefs of the sea can be resolved on a multilateral basis. This is incorrect because sovereignty is fundamentally a bilateral issue for resolution between the states that claim a particular feature. The second confused idea is that maritime boundaries, or some other segregation of the disputed areas, will be determined by the law. This is also incorrect. The settlement of boundary disputes, like that of sovereignty, is fundamentally a political issue for negotiation between the respective parties.” That being the case, he argues, the disputes will be solved only “when the bordering countries change their mindsets from one of sovereignty, sole ownership of resources and seeking ‘fences in the sea’ to one of functional cooperation and cooperative management”. Sound advice. 
• ASEAN finance ministers have agreed to create an ASEAN infrastructure fund (25 Sep). Edmund Sim observes that this development was not accompanied by parallel investment in institutional infrastructure, but nevertheless illustrates “ASEAN’s resourcefulness in dealing with legal and institutional vacuums”. Meanwhile, an opinion piece in the Inquirer (27 Sep) urges ASEAN to “work on narrowing the gaps that persist among and within its members”. Good advice, too – but, of course, “ASEAN” can't do this alone. Individual governments promoting smart policy need to be the prime movers in this direction...
• Here’s another of the now frequent calls for ASEAN “to build a sense of community among its people”, this time by Surakiart Sathiratha, a former Thai foreign minister and deputy prime minister (27 Sep). Suggestions that ASEAN make a joint bid for the 2030 World Cup represent one of the many ways to attempt this, and the Asian Football Confederation has lent its support to this effort (28 Sep). Tourism is another way to get the region’s people talking more amongst themselves. So reports that 47% of the around 73 million tourists visiting ASEAN countries in 2010 (around 34 million) were from other ASEAN countries are a good sign (28 Sep). The tourism figure as a whole represents an 11% increase from 65 million in 2009. It’s perhaps a bit of a stretch to conclude: “This huge intra-ASEAN travel indicates that the region is on the right track to establish an ASEAN Community in the years to come.” But it’s an encouragement for ongoing ASEAN efforts to promote the whole region as a tourist destination.
• It's good to have news of a developing dialogue between civil society organizations and the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC).