大國政治下「東協中心性」的運作：以東協在南海爭端與區域全面經濟夥伴協定（RCEP）談判之角色探討

ASEAN Centrality under Great Power Politics: An Examination of ASEAN’s Role in the South China Sea Dispute and RCEP Negotiations

Since its establishment in 1967, ASEAN has emphasized cooperation and solidarity among Southeast Asian countries. The“ASEAN Way”serves as the foundation for interactions among member states, emphasizing respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, and consensus-based decision-making. In recent years, ASEAN has highlighted the ''ASEAN Centrality'' concept to promote closer cooperation among member states. This refers to the effort of Southeast Asian countries to foster internal unity and cooperation through regional institutions, leading to a unified ASEAN-driven policy in external relations. However, due to the lack of enforcement mechanisms within ASEAN and the limited power of Southeast Asian countries, ASEAN Centrality faces challenges under the influence of major powers. This can be seen in the South China Sea disputes, where the relationships between member states and China and the United States have hindered ASEAN’s ability to formulate effective responses. Nonetheless, in the negotiations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), ASEAN Centrality has gained recognition from major powers, which is evident from the participating countries’acknowledgment of ASEAN’s leadership in RCEP. Therefore, it is clear that the emphasis on ASEAN Centrality varies depending on the issue at hand within the context of great power politics. This paper aims to explore ASEAN’s role in the South China Sea disputes and RCEP negotiations to understand how ASEAN Centrality is perceived by major powers in different issue areas and whether this centrality is driven by ASEAN itself or defined by major power politics.