Introduction

Abstract

Perhaps the most remarkable phenomenon in post-Cold War Asia is the development of cooperative security. Multilateral cooperative security in this region has been led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). ASEAN has taken a number of initiatives to promote cooperation between its members and external powers, thereby developing a cooperative security enterprise comprising several channels for security dialogue. The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the first meeting of which was held in 1994, constitutes the core of ASEAN’s initiative. It is a most inclusive framework, involving almost all the countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including China, the United States, Australia, and Japan. The Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) is intended to support ARF activities. In addition, ASEAN has two other fora at the East Asian level, in which not only economic but also security issues are addressed: the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) and the East Asia Summit (EAS). Finally, a set of “ASEAN plus one” frameworks can be regarded as another component of ASEAN’s cooperative security enterprise.