Preserving Asean S Sovereignty Amid Indo Pacific Tensions

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The Indo-Pacific region is entering a period of heightened geopolitical turbulence, marked by intensifying great power rivalry, militarisation, and shifting strategic alliances.
At the heart of this evolving security environment lies the Asean, a regional bloc that, for decades, has anchored its relevance on neutrality, consensus, and informal diplomacy.
However, as the competition between the US and China escalates, and as new powers like India rise to assert their influence, Asean finds its core principles of sovereignty, autonomy, and unity increasingly under pressure.
The region’s security architecture is transforming rapidly, and Asean must respond decisively to safeguard its members' sovereignty and strategic autonomy in the face of these challenges.
ADSThe most pressing threat to Asean’s sovereignty is in the South China Sea, where China’s assertiveness has undermined the security and territorial integrity of several Asean member states.
Since 2008, Beijing has intensified its presence through the militarisation of artificial islands, coercive patrols, and the harassment of vessels from countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
These activities blatantly violate international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), and directly challenge the sovereignty of Asean coastal states.
While China frames its actions as protecting historic rights, its behaviour is increasingly interpreted as an effort to unilaterally reshape the maritime order to its advantage.
US and allies retaliate
This growing assertiveness from Beijing has catalysed a stronger security response from the US and its partners.
The emergence of groupings like the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), comprising the US, Japan, India, and Australia, reflects a coordinated attempt to counterbalance China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Through joint military exercises, freedom of navigation operations, and defence cooperation initiatives, these powers are increasing their presence in Southeast Asia, turning the region into a potential flashpoint for great power conflict.
While the strategic presence of like-minded democracies is welcomed by some Asean states seeking to balance China’s dominance, the bloc as a whole remains cautious.
Most members fear being forced into a binary choice between Washington and Beijing, which would erode their diplomatic independence and trigger retaliatory responses.
India’s rise
The rise of India as a major strategic actor adds another dimension to this complex environment. India’s growing defence and maritime capabilities, combined with its geographic proximity and shared concerns over Chinese expansionism, make it a critical partner for Asean.
ADSIndia’s Act East Policy has already strengthened its defence ties with countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore.
However, India’s increasing willingness to assert its military strength beyond its borders, exemplified by Operation Sindoor, a demonstration of its military superiority over Pakistan, signals a broader shift in New Delhi’s strategic posture.
While this operation primarily reflects India’s security calculus in South Asia, its implications for the wider Indo-Pacific are significant.
India’s assertiveness sends a message that it is willing to project power in defence of its interests, including in maritime and strategic domains that overlap with Asean’s concerns. This posture, while potentially beneficial in counterbalancing China, also raises questions about regional stability.
For Asean, the key challenge is to engage India as a partner in upholding the rules-based order, without enabling unilateral military behaviour that could destabilise the region.
Proactive engagement with India through structured defence dialogues, joint exercises, and multilateral coordination will be essential to ensure that its influence supports, rather than undermines, Asean’s security objectives.
Asean must reform
Internally, Asean encounters significant constraints that diminish its collective ability to address these emerging threats. The consensus-based framework of the bloc, although essential for its unity, has evolved into an obstacle for prompt and decisive action.
This has been particularly apparent in its varied responses, notably its failure to establish a unified position regarding the South China Sea. Certain member states hesitate to confront China, influenced by economic ties or ideological affiliations, resulting in divisions that weaken Asean’s standing as a unified security entity.
To strengthen its role in regional security, Asean must consider key structural and diplomatic reforms.
First, the bloc should adopt a more flexible approach that allows smaller coalitions of willing states to act on critical issues like maritime security and defence cooperation, without waiting for full consensus.
South China SeaSuch an approach would enable more agile responses while preserving the broader unity of the bloc.
Second, Asean must take a more assertive role in shaping the regional security agenda. Institutions like the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS) offer important platforms, but they are increasingly sidelined by micro-lateral groupings like the Quad and Aukus (a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the US).
To remain relevant, Asean must evolve from a passive convenor of dialogue into an agenda-setter that can proactively address emerging security threats and push for compliance with international norms.
Third, member states must enhance their own defence capabilities and invest in regional interoperability. While collective defence is not on Asean’s agenda, greater security coordination, information sharing, and joint maritime exercises can improve deterrence against external coercion.
Sovereignty can no longer be protected through diplomacy alone and Asean states must be prepared to defend their rights through credible security postures.
Look beyond US, China
Lastly, Asean should strengthen its strategic partnerships with countries that respect its centrality but operate outside the US-China rivalry.
Japan, South Korea, France, and the European Union offer opportunities for defence cooperation, capacity building, and diplomatic alignment without forcing Asean into binary strategic choices. Partner diversification will enhance Asean’s flexibility and help buffer against external pressure.
In a nutshell, the Indo-Pacific’s strategic turbulence presents an existential challenge to Asean. As regional fault lines deepen and power competition intensifies, Asean can no longer rely solely on consensus and neutrality to safeguard its members’ sovereignty and autonomy.
The bloc must adapt through internal reform, strategic diversification, and enhanced security coordination to assert its relevance and preserve regional stability.
The time for passive diplomacy is over. Asean must now act with clarity, courage, and strategic foresight if it is to remain a credible force in the Indo-Pacific. - Mkini
R PANEIR SELVAM is the principal consultant of Arunachala Research & Consultancy Sdn Bhd, a think tank specialising in strategic national and geopolitical matters.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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