Promoting ASEAN Integration

Abstract This article analyses Vietnam’s proactive and in-depth integration in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ), with a particular focus on the first decades of the 21st century. The paper argues that Vietnam’s more active and largely responsible contributions to ASEAN integration are fundamentally shaped by its perceptions on opportunities and challenges caused by China’s rise. By maintaining ASEAN ’s non-aligned status, reinforcing its strategic autonomy, centrality, and unification, Vietnam seeks to make the Association strong enough to take a unified position towards China’s aggressive behaviour in the disputed waters close to its shores. However, ASEAN ’s internal limitations, China’s great power diplomacy, and geo-strategic constraints, as well as countervailing incentives, lead us to expect there will be further challenges to Vietnam’s efforts.