Abstract

This chapter sets out some of the conflicts, tensions and security pressures that have threatened to undercut stability in South-East Asia, or parts thereof. It also reviews the approaches—individual, bilateral, multi-country, regional—that member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have adopted in response. The chapter shows that having emphasized for several years the particular relevance of transnational security threats, regional governments have re-focused attention on conventional security threats, primarily ones that are linked to the People’s Republic of China’s rise and the South China Sea conflict. The capacity of the ASEAN states to manage serious intramural or regional disputes and conflict remains limited. Notably, the recent US rebalancing towards the Asia-Pacific has not significantly improved the prospects for regional stability.