ASEAN to gain from expanded membership<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): ASEAN will gain immeasurably from the impending
\nexpansion of its membership but there will be formidable
\nproblems, a seminar concluded yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"The addition of three new countries will make ASEAN more
\nrepresentative of Southeast Asia. This will give it a stronger
\nvoice in international forums where issues affecting the region
\nare discussed,\" Robert Teh, a senior officer of the ASEAN
\nSecretariat's Bureau of ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), said in a
\nstatement concluding the three-day seminar.<\/p>\n
The seminar, titled Enhancement of Trade and Investment
\nCooperation in Southeast Asia: Opportunities and Challenges
\ntowards ASEAN-10 and Beyond, was organized by the ASEAN
\nsecretariat and the United Nations Economic Social Commission for
\nAsia and the Pacific.<\/p>\n
ASEAN groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
\nSingapore, Thailand and Vietnam and is expected to admit
\nCambodia, Laos and Myanmar in the middle of the year.<\/p>\n
Delegations from the ten countries included government
\nofficials and businessmen.<\/p>\n
Teh said that beyond the political advantages, an expanded
\nASEAN would gain considerable leverage in enhancing its global
\ncompetitiveness.<\/p>\n
\"This will gradually become evident when Cambodia, Laos and
\nMyanmar are closely integrated with the economies of the other
\nASEAN members,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Speakers said ASEAN would also face significant challenges
\nfrom expanded membership and that the most serious might be a
\nwidening gap between the more developed and lesser developed
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
\"But we take comfort from the findings of the seminar that the
\nenhancement of trade and investment cooperation in Southeast Asia
\nmay provide the solution to the problem,\" Teh said.<\/p>\n
Mari Pangestu, the executive director of the Centre for
\nStrategic and International Studies (CSIS), who moderated a
\ndiscussion at the seminar's final session yesterday, said there
\nwould be no direct impact on the economies of the existing
\nmembers because of the expansion.<\/p>\n
\"But we have to see them in the way we see the Chinese
\neconomy,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She said similarities were that labor and natural resources
\nmake them competitors to most existing ASEAN members in
\nattracting foreign investments.<\/p>\n
But if the economies could compliment each other they could
\ngenerate ASEAN economic growth and facilitate economic
\ncooperation. she said.<\/p>\n
She said the three countries were potential future markets for
\nexisting member countries.<\/p>\n
For Indonesia, with a better economy, they could become
\nmarkets industrial products. \"As we are more industrialized than
\nthem, we can, for example, export our spare parts and automotive
\nproducts, garments, consultancy and management services,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
She said that because of their less developed economies the
\nthree countries had some catching-up to do to emulate the
\neconomies of the existing ASEAN members. (bnt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-to-gain-from-expanded-membership-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}