Fifty years since its establishment, it is time for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to welcome another member into its midst — with Japan's support.
The recent meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers in the Philippines drew more attention than usual to its concluding communique. More so than in past versions, this year's ASEAN concluding joint statement made clear the grouping of 10 nations' hopes for a demilitarized South China Sea. In one paragraph, the communique also noted "the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, safety and freedom of navigation in and over-flight above the South China Sea." While not explicitly named, China was very clearly the focus of attention.
Garnering much less attention was the single paragraph that "noted Timor-Leste's application for ASEAN membership and looked forward to the continued discussion" about reports and capacity building regarding that small Southeast Asian island nation's longstanding efforts to join the regional bloc.