An emerging regional regime: ASEAN as the mini-max regime

Previous studies on the behavior of the ASEAN states examined either the origin and development of ASEAN cooperation or various impediments to ASEAN cooperation in view of regional integration theories. This study, however, attempts to explain why the ASEAN states behave as they do in the context of ASEAN primarily because regional integration theories do not fully explain why the ASEAN states behave as they do. This study conceives ASEAN as an international regime and hypothesizes ASEAN as the mini-max regime which minimizes intra-ASEAN disputes and maximizes ASEAN states common interests. We assume that the ASEAN states behave according to that common understanding. We constructed a flow chart of ASEAN's and ASEAN states' behavior based on six major ASEAN documents. We further assume that if the behavior of ASEAN states is in conformity with the common understanding most of the time, then we can identify ASEAN as the mini-max regime. We also examined the validity of threat-induced ASEAN cooperation and spill-over hypotheses.;In order to test our hypothesis and examine the validity of the two theses, we selected four cases: (1) the Philippine territorial claim to Sabah; (2) intra-ASEAN trade liberalization; (3) ASEAN's and ASEAN states' approach to Japan as the dominant economic partner; and (4) ASEAN's and ASEAN states' approach to the Kampuchea conflict. These cases were chosen because the cases cover the four major areas of ASEAN activities.;This study found that the behavior of the ASEAN states in the four selected cases is indeed for the most part in conformity with the common ASEAN understanding and the ASEAN states are in the process of forming the mini-max regime which minimizes intra-ASEAN disputes and maximize common interests. Another noteworthy finding is that the ASEAN states have adopted the two dimensional diplomacy (bilateral and multilateral) in dealing with external actors for inducing various bilateral concessions and benefits from them. We also found that the hypotheses of threat-induced ASEAN cooperation and the spill-over are misleading because of the lack of substantive evidence.