January 11, 2015

"ASEAN faces its most complex regional security challenge since its formation, at a time when the United States and China are groping towards a new balance in their relationship, veteran Singapore diplomat Bilahari Kausikan said yesterday.

The 10-nation bloc should remain neutral amid overlapping American, Chinese and Japanese interests in the region, he told the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies' (Iseas) Regional Outlook Forum.

But anxiety perpetrated by actions of major powers has given rise to uncertainty which will test ASEAN's ability to cope, said Mr Kausikan, a policy adviser and ambassador-at-large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

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