At 50, ASEAN is a neighbourhood, not yet community (Jakarta Post, 29 July 2017)
South-east Asian countries today are far more integrated than they have ever been in the modern history of the region, but ASEAN has some way to go before it can call itself a real community. The 10 member countries grouped in ASEAN are glued together more because of their geographical proximity, and out of that perhaps comes a sense of shared destiny. But a community, where members have shared values and principles, ASEAN is not. For now, it is looking more like a neighbourhood. It’s a neighbourhood of nations, big and small, rich and poor, at different stages of economic and political development, and they are already trading with one another more and more.