The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok by the five original Member Countries, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined on 8 January 1984, Vietnam on 28 July 1995, Laos and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999 Association of Southeast Asian Nations

2 10 members 4.5million sq kms 570million people (growth1.5%)

ASEAN Free Trade Area 3 Eliminating tariff barriers among the Southeast Asian countries Integrating the ASEAN economies into a single production base Creating a regional market of over 500 million people Launched in January 1992

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POLITICAL – SECURITY Blueprint Rules based, shared norms and values Cohesive, peaceful, stable, resilient with shared responsibility Dynamic and Outward looking ECONOMIC Blueprint Single Market and production base Competitive economic region Equitable Economic development Integration into global economy SOCIO- CULTURAL Blueprint Human Development Social Welfare and Protection Social justice and rights Environmental Sustainability ASEAN Identity ASEAN Charter - One Vision, One Identity, One Caring and Sharing Community ASEAN Community

STRUCTURES AND MECHANISMS The highest decision-making organ of ASEAN is the Meeting of the ASEAN Heads of State and Government. The ASEAN Summit is convened every year The ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (Foreign Ministers) is held on an annual basis. Ministerial meetings on several other sectors are also held Supporting these ministerial bodies are 29 committees of senior officials and 122 technical working groups. 6

7 AEM: ASEAN Economic Ministers AMM: ASEAN Ministerial Meeting AFMM: ASEAN Finance Ministers Meeting SEOM: Senior Economic Officials Meeting ASC: ASEAN Standing Committee SOM: Senior Officials Meeting ASFOM: ASEAN Senior Finance Officials Meeting

ASEAN Integration 2015 Economic Blue Print & Community Political Security Blue Print & Community Socio-Cultural Blue Print & Community ASEAN Economic Community Council ASEAN Security Community Council ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council ARF Rural Dev (AMDPE) Education ASEAN Coordinating Council DM (AMMDM) Soc Welfare (AMMSWD) + ACWC Law (ALAWMM) Defence (ADMM) AMM + AICHR Environment (AMME) Labor (ALMM) + ACMW Econ Min (AEM) AFTA Council Investment (AIA) Finance (AFMM) Food, Agr, (AMAF)Trans Crime (AMMTC)

ASEAN Tourism To promote Southeast Asia as a single tourism destination. 9

TransPacific Partnership (TTP) I The changing patterns of trade and structural changes noted above have implications for a major U.S. initiative – the TransPacific Partnership (TTP) The United States and China are offering competing frameworks for security, trade and economic cooperation in the Asia Pacific Region In the U.S. case this involves binding traditionally strong bilateral treaty allies and states concerned by China’s rising economic heft and territorial claims into a mutually beneficial multilateral framework China considers these arrangements as designed to contain that country More subtly, the approach is centered on regional trading arrangements and strategic plans intended to make it difficult for China to alter the status quo even as its economic power grows. 11

TransPacific Partnership (TTP) II If ratified, it will represent one of the world’s most expansive trade agreements If Canada, Mexico and especially Japan also sign the agreement will add billions to the U.S. economy and solidify Washington’s political financial and military commitment to the Pacific for decades to come. China which is the main trading partner for almost all other Asian states has promoted its “Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Plus Three (China, Japan and South Korea) framework It offers an easily implemented multilateral trade partnership based on a lowest common denominator formula in which countries remove only some trade barriers resulting in rapid, albeit narrow gains 12

TransPacific Partnership (TPP) III The TPP requires a greater commitment among members regarding binding rules and standards, but offers the potential for deeper gains through progress on investment, property rights, competition provisions as well as reducing trade barriers. While the U.S. has not formally excluded China from joining the TPP, the country would need to revalue its currency, reduce subsidies to state-owned companies, provide better protection to intellectual property, as well as reduce trade barriers– all improbable steps Given the complexity of the TPP, its creation may not be a realistic prospect until early in the next decade – until then it does hold out an alternative to China’s ASEAN Plus Three. 13

TransPacific Partnership (TPP) IV One thing is certain: the TPP will not derail Asia’s intra-regional trade integration for a number of reasons: Asia is likely to be the fastest-growing region in the world for the foreseeable future and to increasingly provide the bulk of incremental global demand. This means that intra-Asian trade will continue to outpace trade with the rest of the world Countries in the region have undertaken investments in transport infrastructure connecting the SE-Asian economies with each other and with China Rising real wages and land prices in China and the country’s appreciating exchange rate will drive labor intensive Chinese firms to eventually relocate in labor-abundant SE-Asian economies further generating trade and investment flows In sum, trade and investment agreements like the TPP can only facilitate market forces, not fight them. Several scenarios see an eventual merging of a China-led Asian track and a U.S. led TPP track with the center of the world’s economy in the Pacific basin 14

Problems 1.The Secrecy Issue No documents released unless all parties agree. They have agreed that: No text will be released until the final text is signed No background documents or draft text will be released until 4 years after TPP comes into force Acceding countries can’t see draft texts until they join 2.Investment Pressure to remove restrictions on foreign ownership of strategic assets (eg privatisations) Not make new regulations that significantly impact on a foreign investment (eg tobacco, alcohol, gambling policies, zoning, building code) Investor right to enforce directly in private offshore tribunal (ISDS), ave $8m cost, duration 4 years, aims to chill policy decisions

3. Intellectual Property, US demands on copyright term extension, temporary copies, circumvention of TPMs will mean: adverse impact on R&D and innovation; massive cost increase for libraries, education institutions, museums, etc; restrict compatibility of IT systems & software; parallel imports are illegal; major cost increases for businesses. 4. State – Operated Enterprises US-promoted chapter, all governments are worried and scope of definition is unclear Disciplines would apply if state entity receives any perceived benefits, incl implied government guarantees, use of public land or facilities, monopoly rights, access to subsidies, grants, financing.

If passed, Critics say the TPP would:  make it easier for big corporations to ship our jobs overseas, pushing down our wages and increasing income inequality,  flood our country with unsafe imported food,  jack up the cost of medicines by giving big pharmaceutical corporations new monopoly rights to keep lower cost generic drugs off the market,  empower corporations to attack our environmental and health safeguards,  ban Buy American policies needed to create green jobs,  roll back Wall Street reforms,  sneak in SOPA-like threats to Internet freedom,  and undermine human rights.

TPP (Trans - Pacific Partnership)

Why Isn’t China In on the Talks? China has never expressed interest in joining the negotiations, but in the past has viewed the pact with concern, seeing a potential threat as the United States tries to tighten its relationship with Asian trading partners. Lately, senior Chinese officials have sounded more accepting of the potential deal, and have even hinted that they might want to participate at some point. At the same time, the deal provides China some cover as it pursues its own trade agreements in the region, such as the Silk Road initiative in Central Asia. United States officials, while making clear that they see the pact as part of an effort to counter China’s influence in the region, say they are hopeful that the pact’s “open architecture” eventually prompts China to join, along with other important economic powers like South Korea.