As it turns 50， ASEAN celebrates the past and looks toward the future

On Aug. 8， a ceremony took place in Manila to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN. The event was attended by President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines， the rotating chair of ASEAN， and foreign ministers or representatives from the regional bloc’s 10 member states， its dialogue partners and other countries. Video messages from the leaders of ASEAN member states were presented at the ceremony. The participants paid tribute to ASEAN’s founders.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to President Duterte on the anniversary of the organization.

In his speech at the ceremony， Duterte said that the anniversary marks a true milestone for Southeast Asia and its people.

“As we stand at the center of the future of the Asia-Pacific region， we remember our responsibility to fully realize the dreams and aspirations of our peoples，” Duterte said. “As we look back on this half-century of achievements， we look forward to a future of greater possibilities， knowing that together， we can make our dreams become reality.”

Greater Strength Through Unity

On the same day， ASEAN leaders released a joint declaration saying that the 50th anniversary of ASEAN is a historic occasion that highlights the success of building an ASEAN Community.

“We look forward to the next 50 years and beyond， confident in our ability to build on our past achievements and address future challenges effectively as one ASEAN Community，” the declaration said.

In the declaration， ASEAN leaders reaffirmed the aims， principles and purposes of the 1967 ASEAN Declaration （Bangkok Declaration）. They reaffirmed their commitment to efforts to realize the goals of ASEAN Community Vision 2025 under the theme of “One Vision， One Identity， One Community”， the maintenance and promotion of peace， security and stability， and providing greater opportunities to their peoples and narrowing the gap in ASEAN.

On Aug. 8， 1967， foreign ministers of Thailand， Indonesia， Singapore， the Philippines and Malaysia jointly released the ASEAN Declaration in Bangkok. In the ensuing years， Brunei， Vietnam， Laos， Myanmar and Cambodia joined the bloc. The ASEAN framework of 10 Southeast Asian states was thus identified.

For half a century， ASEAN has worked hard to strengthen internal unity and resolve regional disputes， which has transformed Southeast Asia from turmoil to stability， from confrontation to cooperation， from poverty to prosperity.

Over the past 50 years， ASEAN has developed a distinctive ASEAN Way featuring mutual respect， consensus building and accommodation of each other’s comfort levels， which has promoted mutual understanding and trust among member states. The member states acknowledge the diversity in their interests and visions and pursue common goals.

At the closing ceremony of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and Related Meetings， Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Cayetano stated that ASEAN has played an important role in maintaining regional peace and stability and promoting economic development.

“ASEAN has found the ASEAN Way， which has created an environment for cooperation and collaboration despite our own national interests and differences，” Cayetano said. “Now， 50 years later， we have overcome the divisions， fears and hostilities of the past. We have used regional cooperation to promote growth， development， and integration.”

The founding of the ASEAN Community at the end of 2015 marked a new milestone of regional integration in Asia. With the community building， especially the economic community， ASEAN has made great achievements in the field of economic development. In fact， ASEAN’s aggregate economic output has reached US$2.4 trillion， making it the world’s seventh largest economy.

Professor Erin Baraoui of the University of the Philippines’ Asian Center believes that after 50 years of development， ASEAN has become a representative force in the development of multi-polarization in the world. In the future， ASEAN will accelerate its integration in accordance with the requirements of the ASEAN Charter. Each and every member state is expected to contribute to the next 50 years by doing its own “homework”， which in turn will make the entire bloc more united， dynamic and influential.

Dynamism of 10+1

In his congratulatory message， President Xi said that China is willing to continue to stick to the principles of amity， sincerity， mutual benefit and inclusiveness， and take the 15th anniversary in 2018 of the establishment of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership as an opportunity to build a closer community of shared future together with ASEAN. Xi said such a community will be based on what has been achieved so far， and will focus on the future.

Among ASEAN’s dialogue partners， China was the first to establish a strategic partnership with ASEAN. It was also the first that initiated the construction of a free trade area （ACFTA） with ASEAN. Since the dialogue relationship was established between China and ASEAN in 1991， mutual political trust has been continuously strengthened， with pragmatic cooperation yielding a wide range of positive results. Chinese state leaders have made frequent visits to ASEAN countries.

For eight consecutive years， China has been ASEAN’s largest trading partner. Two-way direct investment has reached nearly US$178 billion. Personnel exchanges between the two sides have exceeded 38 million. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank （AIIB） has been established. Negotiations on upgrading the ACFTA have been concluded. The last few years have been designated Year of Cultural Exchange， Year of Maritime Cooperation， Year of Tourism Cooperation and Year of Education Exchange between the two sides. The new Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism has been established. All of these are evidence that the China-ASEAN relationship has become the most dynamic and most profound among ASEAN’s relationships with dialogue partners.

At the 10+1 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Aug. 6， ASEAN member states fully acknowledged the achievements of their cooperation with China and positive momentum in the South China Sea. They welcomed the approval of the framework of the Code of Conduct （COC）， and looked forward to further consultations on the COC under the framework of a full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea （DOC）.

ASEAN member states have expressed their hope that the South China Sea will be a sea of peace， stability and prosperity. They are fully aware that ASEAN will continue to benefit from China’s economic growth. They are looking forward to the implementation of the upgraded ACFTA， aiming at US$1 trillion of bilateral trade and US$150 billion of two-way investment by 2020. It has become a consensus among ASEAN member states to continue to deepen cooperation with China.

Jose de Venecia， Presidential Special Envoy and former Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines， said that for ASEAN， China has always been a peace-loving neighbor and good partner. The development of ASEAN-China relations has been positive and fruitful， which is in the interest of both sides.