ASEAN needs to find its way soonBy Dion Maulana PrasetyaTensions between Japan and China over Taiwan have again exposed the fragility of East Asia’s security architecture. Historically, ASEAN has functioned as a stabilizing buffer in East Asia, providing inclusive platforms where rival powers could engage without confrontation. Forums such as the ASEAN Regional Forum and the East Asia Summit have helped institutionalize dialogue, manage tensions and prevent disputes from escalating into open conflict. The stability of East Asia depends less on declarations of strength than on the willingness of all actors to manage their differences responsibly. Without self-constraint, the region risks sliding from managed competition into a cycle of confrontation — one that neither ASEAN nor East Asia can afford.
