The United States invested more than $150 billion in the financial market of Southeast Asia region in 2008. Of course, it is a matter of great importance for the United States to look into its national interest in this region and to address the growing volume of its dealing in ASEAN affairs. Machel, US assistant secretary for East Asian affairs said that the US Government would set up an US-ASEAN Embassy at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. Machel noted that the move would not only reaffirm the firm commitment of the United States in Southeast Asia, it would also be in line with US interests.
US Ties With ASEAN
Machel who also serves as the US-ASEAN ambassador said this at a seminar on US-ASEAN ties organized by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies [ISEAS] in Singapore.
He said that the setting up of an US-ASEAN Embassy in Jakarta has reflected the US desire to consider ASEAN an important regional partner in handling issues like global trade and economy, global climate change, and nuclear proliferation in the coming days.
ASEAN Charter and Blue Plan
In addressing the ISEAS forum on US-ASEAN long-term relationship, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Machel said that the United States has studied the ASEAN Charter and taken note of the ASEAN blue plan to push forward the ASEAN integration goal to streamline ASEAN economy, politics, security, and society by 2015. He said that the United States was convinced that based on mutual interest and issue of concern to both sides ASEAN should be a US diplomatic partner. He said that the United States would support the function of ASEAN and the central role of ASEAN in any other regional framework.
He said: "The United States considers ASEAN as a regional body with function to handle its own Southeast Asian affairs, rather the United States considers ASEAN as regional and global partner. Some people may think that this is too ambitious, but I think this is necessary."
Establishing Bilateral Trade
Machel said that many people probably did not notice that the US investments in the Southeast Asia region are not less than its investments in China, Japan, and South Korea. He cited that the United States has invested as much as $153 billion in the ASEAN's stock market in 2008 alone. He pointed out that the scale of US investment in ASEAN was higher than its investment in China, Japan and South Korea's stock market. In addition, the bilateral trade between the United States and ASEAN in 2008 has also reached a considerable amount of $177 billion. These figures have shown that the economic interests of the United States have now been deeply rooted in the Southeast Asian region.
According to the statistics released by the US Trade Representative office, ASEAN was the US fourth largest export market. In 2009, the United States has also signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation with ASEAN with commitment not to use force on ASEAN member countries.
Broader Global Issues
For the reasons as expressed by US-ASEAN Ambassador Machel, the Jakara-based US-ASEAN Embassy, which will be operational in early next year will be a concrete approach and true expression of the US desire to deepen its engagement with ASEAN. This new US-ASEAN Embassy will also be part and parcel of US-ASEAN cooperation on broader global issues.
When further explained the reasons for the US Government's decision to establish the ASEAN Embassy in parallel to the diplomatic mission of the US Embassy in Jakarta, Machel said that main function of the US ASEAN Embassy was to hold regular dialogues with the ASEAN Secretariat to discuss regional issue and situation. He said the need to setup an US-ASEAN Embassy and to establish a full time diplomatic position within the ASEAN Secretariat Building has become more necessary when all ASEAN member countries have also assigned special ASEAN ambassadors to station within the ASEAN Secretariat.
Machel also disclosed that eventually a full time US-ASEAN ambassador would lead the US-ASEAN Embassy based in Jakarta. He said that the US Government was now coordinating with the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta to work on the legal document on the appointment of one additional US ambassador to Jakarta to handle ASEAN affairs. He hoped that by next summer, the US Government could officially appoint one US-ASEAN ambassador to station in Jakarta permanently. Machel added that by then the United States would become the first diplomatic mission with a permanent ASEAN ambassador to serve as ASEAN's diplomatic dialogue partner. According to the ASEAN Charter, non-ASEAN countries and relevant NGOs can appoint ASEAN ambassadors to station in ASEAN member countries. As of November 2009, 26 countries as well as the European Commission have appointed ambassadors to handle ASEAN affairs.
On future US cooperation with the ASEAN region, Machel said that the goal for ASEAN to achieve the formation of the ASEAN Community by 2015 in order to create a regional single market was an important development to watch for. He said that, although the United States and the ASEAN free trade talks would not have to depend on the establishment of the ASEAN single market, he did believe that the ASEAN regional economic integration would enable all ASEAN countries to streamline and unify ASEAN's foreign trade and investment regulations. This would help to eliminate the obstacles that have prevented the free trade negotiations between ASEAN and the United States in achieving further progress.
As a senior veteran US diplomat who is well-versed with Southeast Asian affairs, Machel proposed that ASEAN should take more proactive action to promote the ASEAN market, which has good potential to reap good marketing result. Machel even felt that such marketing initiative of ASEAN nations should be one of the priorities of ASEAN as a whole. This was because to the broader people in Europe and in the United States, ASEAN was still a relatively unknown regional organization.
Myanmar Problem
On the hot issue of Myanmar, Machel said that since the United States made adjustment in adopting a different foreign policy approach to engage direct dialogue with Myanmar, the United States has not achieved any concrete results in dealing with Myanmar. He said that, although the United States did not expect to see positive results in its dealing with the Burmese Government within short period of time, but after a certain period, if the US "contact diplomacy" did not get any response from Myanmar, it would be difficult for the United States to keep maintaining such direct dialogue with Myanmar.
In early October, Machel joined Colin Campbell, US assistant secretary of state for Asian and Pacific Affairs, to visit Myanmar.
He said: "The problem in Myanmar is that there is only one person who can make decision (referring to the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council Chairman Senior General Than Shwe) in Myanmar. But this person has not shown any willingness for Myanmar to open up."
No comments:
Post a Comment