Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fundamentals
48
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TYPE
Original Research
PAGE NO.
48-51
DOI
OPEN ACCESS
SUBMITED
26 October 2024
ACCEPTED
28 December 2024
PUBLISHED
23 January 2025
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue01 2025
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License.
The Role of The Southeast
Asia Region in
International Relations
and Its Security Issues
Habibullo Azimov
Senior Lecturer, PhD, Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies,
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Jonibek Erkayev
Student, Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, Tashkent,
Uzbekistan
Abstract:
This article discusses the geostrategic features
of the Southeast Asian region, its problems, and their
origins. It also analyzes the factors contributing to
Southeast Asia's significant increase in international
relations importance and its role in ensuring
international security. The strategic influence of the
world's leading countries in the Southeast Asian region
is also studied.
Keywords:
ASEAN, “Bangkok Declaration”, “ASEAN
Security Community”, “ASEAN Economic Community”
and “ASEAN Socio
-
Cultural Community”, tran
snational
threats, “Jamaa Islamiyah”, “Abu Sayyaf”
.
Introduction:
Along with the increasing importance of
regions and regional powers as actors in global politics,
it is also evident that they are gaining importance in
research in the field of international relations. . One
such important region is the Southeast Asian region.
Today, Southeast Asia refers to the countries that make
up this region, such as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia,
the Philippines, Singapore, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and East Timor. All of
these countries have interacted and mixed with each
other throughout history, especially culturally. Present-
day Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore once
formed the great Malay Empire, which dominated the
region at one time. In addition, the Southeast Asian
region has always been studied with great interest by
researchers and experts due to its location at the
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Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fundamentals
crossroads of global trade routes, its rich natural
resources, and its strong impact on global security and
the prospects for interregional cooperation. Under the
Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (SEANWFZ)
agreement signed in 1995, none of the countries in the
region will pursue the initiative to acquire nuclear
weapons, which are considered weapons of mass
destruction. Factors like these make any researcher in
international relations and regional studies interested
in studying the region in depth.
The main part
. Southeast Asia is a key player in
international relations due to its strategic location,
economic potential, rich cultural diversity, and role in
global geopolitics. The region occupies a key position
between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean,
serving as a gateway for maritime trade between East
Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. In
particular, the Strait of Malacca is one of the world's
busiest shipping lanes, through which a large portion
of global trade, including energy shipments, passes.
Southeast Asia is also home to some of the world's
fastest-growing economies, with countries such as
Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines
experiencing rapid economic growth. These countries
are key players in global supply chains, particularly in
manufacturing,
electronics,
and
textiles.
The
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),
founded in Bangkok in 1967, is a large economic bloc
with a combined population of over 650 million and a
gross domestic product of over $3 trillion. The goals
and objectives of the organization were set out in the
Bangkok Declaration in 1967. The text of this
declaration outlines seven main goals and objectives of
the organization:
1. Economic growth, social and global development.
2. Regional peace and stability.
3. In economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and
administrative affairs
cooperation.
4. Cooperation in the field of education and research.
5. Cooperation in agriculture and industry, trade,
transport and cooperation in raising living standards.
6. Promote and develop research on Southeast Asia.
7. Cooperation with regional and international
organizations .
ASEAN has free trade agreements with other major
economies, including China (under the Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership), Japan, South
Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The region is also an
integral part of global trade, and its economic
integration has enabled it to become a hub for
investment, manufacturing and exports. Foreign direct
investment in Southeast Asia is mainly attracted by
China, Japan, the United States and European countries.
The region has a large young workforce and growing
consumer markets. Singapore alone has already
become one of the major financial centers. Indonesia
and Vietnam have become important centers of
manufacturing and assembly, especially in the
electronics sector, not only in the region but also
worldwide. Southeast Asian countries are at the
forefront of digital technology adoption, with internet
use, e-commerce and technological innovation growing.
Countries such as Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia are
emerging as leaders in computer technology and
innovation. The region's young, tech-savvy population is
a growing market for digital services, and the Southeast
Asian region is one of the regions increasingly
connected to global information and technology
networks.
China, the region's main trading partner, is making
significant progress in Southeast Asia with its "One Belt,
One Road" initiative. China has invested heavily in
infrastructure projects such as railways, ports and
power plants. These investments will reshape the
region's economic landscape, but are sure to raise
concerns about debt sustainability and China's growing
influence.
Despite its strategic location, Southeast Asia is highly
vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including
rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and natural
disasters such as typhoons and floods. These challenges
make countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and
Vietnam particularly vulnerable to the potential for
large-scale population displacement. The region's
environmental challenges impact global climate policy
and international cooperation in areas such as disaster
risk reduction, climate adaptation, and sustainable
development.
ASEAN, which brings together countries in the region,
plays a key role in regional diplomacy and has become a
key platform for resolving regional issues, promoting
dialogue, and fostering cooperation in areas such as
trade, security, and environmental sustainability. It
provides a convenient environment for regional powers
(including China, Japan, and India) to engage with
Southeast Asian countries. Formats such as ASEAN+3
and ASEAN+6 - which include ASEAN countries plus
China, Japan, and South Korea (ASEAN+3) and ASEAN+6
(including Australia, New Zealand, and India) - are
important for economic cooperation, political dialogue,
and regional stability. ASEAN's central role in these
forums further strengthens its role in promoting
multilateralism and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific
region.
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Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fundamentals
The 11th ASEAN Summit held in Kuala Lumpur in
December 2005 was a significant milestone in the
development of the organization. During the summit,
the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Preparation of
the ASEAN Charter, which provides a legal and
institutional framework for the achievement of
ASEAN's goals and objectives, was signed, and the
"ASEAN Security Community", "ASEAN Economic
Community" and "ASEAN Social-Cultural Community"
were established, and it was decided to build the
"ASEAN Community" based on three pillars. Among the
topics discussed during the summit; the establishment
of the ASEAN Community, ASEAN's interests after
2015, claims over the South China Sea, the "Global
Moderation Movement", and the fight against
extremism and terrorism were highlighted.
Unlike Europe, not only in the Southeast Asian region,
but in Asia as a whole, there are almost no strong,
multilateral political institutions. In Asia, only ASEAN,
the Regional Forum on Security (RFA) and, to some
extent, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
are comparable to the European security structures
(EU, NATO, OSCE, Council of Europe). China and other
major players in East and Southeast Asia have not
joined ASEAN. The APEC mainly performs consultative
functions. Security in Asia is ensured not by
multilateral agreements, but by bilateral agreements
between the countries of the region and the United
States, primarily the security agreements between the
United States and Japan and the United States and
South Korea.
Forces influencing the security system of Southeast
Asia. The creation of a security system in East and
Southeast Asia is mainly influenced by four major
powers: the United States, Japan, China, and to a
certain extent Russia. Therefore, assessments of the
situation in the region in the field of international
security and the possibilities of establishing peace and
stability in it depend largely on the positions and
policies of Washington, Tokyo, Beijing, and Moscow. A
number of scholars argue that Japan's approaches to
these issues "do not differ much from those of the
United States."
Southeast Asia is a focal point of the competition
between the United States and China. The United
States has long-standing security alliances with
countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, and
Singapore. These alliances have a military dimension,
including U.S. military bases in the region, joint military
exercises, and defense agreements. At the same time,
China is increasing its influence in Southeast Asia. This
is particularly evident in its assertive policy in the South
China Sea and its growing involvement in regional
trade and investment.
Southeast Asia, particularly in countries such as
Indonesia and the Philippines, has been plagued by
terrorism and radicalization. Terrorist attacks in the
region have been attributed to groups such as Jemaah
Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf. Counterterrorism in
Southeast Asia requires international cooperation, and
many countries in the region work closely with global
powers such as the United States to combat these
threats.
Southeast Asia is a hotspot for transnational threats,
including drug trafficking, piracy, and illegal fishing.
Regional cooperation and international relations are
essential in addressing these challenges. ASEAN
countries are now working together to address these
common threats.
In general, another unique feature of this region is
that no country in the region possesses nuclear
weapons. Therefore, there is almost no risk of nuclear
war between countries in this region. The main
principles of security cooperation among Southeast
Asian countries include the following:
-
not joining military-political blocs;
-
striving to resolve foreign policy issues
peacefully;
-
resolve conflicts without using force;
-
the abandonment of nuclear weapons and
other weapons of mass destruction;
-
preventing an arms race in the region;
-
Refrain from using force or threatening to use
force.
CONCLUSION
In summary, Southeast Asia occupies a significant place
in international relations, both as a dynamic region in its
own right and as a major player in the broader Indo-
Pacific context. Its strategic location, rich natural
resources, and rapidly growing economy make it a key
hub for global trade, investment, and security. The
region’s importance is further enhanced by its active
role in multilateral organizations such as ASEAN, which
fosters cooperation and stability among its various
member states through active external relations with
global powers. Southeast Asia’s geopolitical importance
is underscored by its centrality in the ongoing
competition between the United States and China,
particularly over maritime security, trade, and regional
power dynamics. The disputes in the South China Sea, in
particular, are further enhancing the region’s
importance to global security, drawing the attention of
major powers, and shaping broader geopolitical
strategies.
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