ASEAN Centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)

ASEAN centrality is the idea that ASEAN, the group of Southeast Asian countries, should sit at the centre of how the wider Asia-Pacific region is organised. Big powers like the US, China, India and Japan meet each other in forums that ASEAN created and ASEAN chairs. ASEAN sets the agenda, and its way of working (talk, consensus, no pressure) becomes the rule of the room.

The ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), adopted in 2019, is ASEAN's own statement of how it sees the Indo-Pacific, with ASEAN centrality as its main principle.

Why does it exist?

Southeast Asia lies between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, on some of the world's busiest sea routes. Each ASEAN member is small compared with the big powers around it. If the big powers built their own blocs, the small countries could be forced to pick sides, or be ignored. By keeping itself at the centre, ASEAN makes sure the big powers come to its table, on its terms.

You can think of ASEAN as the host of a family function who invites relatives that do not get along. Because the host is neutral and respected, everyone comes and sits in the same hall.

Why do the big powers accept it?

Rival powers do not fully trust each other to lead. The US would not accept a China-led forum, and China would not accept a US-led one. ASEAN is seen as a neutral, non-threatening convenor. So all sides accept ASEAN in the "driving seat", even though it is the militarily weaker party.

Where did it come from?

The idea grew step by step as ASEAN created one forum after another:

• 1967: ASEAN is founded by the Bangkok Declaration.
• 1976: The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) is signed in Bali. It sets the rules of behaviour: respect for sovereignty, non-interference and peaceful settlement of disputes. Outside countries can join it, and joining the TAC later became a condition for joining the East Asia Summit.
• 1994: The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) begins, a security forum of foreign ministers.
• 1997: ASEAN Plus Three begins with China, Japan and South Korea.
• 2005: The East Asia Summit (EAS) begins, for leaders. The first was held in Kuala Lumpur on 14 December 2005.
• 2010: The ADMM-Plus begins, for defence ministers.

The idea was written into law in the ASEAN Charter, signed in 2007 and in force from December 2008. Article 1(15) of the Charter lists as a purpose: to maintain "the centrality and proactive role of ASEAN as the primary driving force" in its relations with outside partners, in a regional architecture that is "open, transparent and inclusive". Article 2(2)(m) lists the centrality of ASEAN in its external relations as one of its guiding principles. The Charter does not give a formal definition of "centrality".

What is the AOIP?

From the late 2010s, countries like the US, Japan, Australia and India began talking of the "Indo-Pacific" instead of the "Asia-Pacific". The new word joined the Indian Ocean and the Pacific into one region. ASEAN worried that new groups, such as the Quad (the US, Japan, Australia and India), might push it to the side. So it wrote its own view. The AOIP was adopted at the 34th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok on 23 June 2019, under Thailand's chairship.

What does the AOIP say?

It is a short, non-binding document. It does not create any new body; it says existing ASEAN-led forums such as the EAS should be used. Its principles are ASEAN centrality, openness, transparency, inclusivity, a rules-based framework, good governance, and respect for international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the TAC. It lists four priority areas for cooperation:

1. Maritime cooperation
2. Connectivity
3. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030
4. Economic and other possible areas of cooperation

In November 2022, at the 40th ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, ASEAN leaders adopted a declaration to "mainstream" these four areas into all ASEAN-led mechanisms.

India's position and Indian examples

India is one of the strongest supporters of ASEAN centrality. Its Indo-Pacific vision openly places ASEAN at the centre.

• India's Look East Policy (early 1990s) became the Act East Policy in November 2014. ASEAN is at its core.
• India became an ASEAN sectoral dialogue partner in 1992, a full dialogue partner in the mid-1990s, a summit-level partner in 2002, a strategic partner in 2012 and a Comprehensive Strategic Partner in November 2022 (at the 19th ASEAN-India Summit, Phnom Penh, marking 30 years of ties).
• India joined the TAC on 8 October 2003 in Bali.
• In November 2019, at the East Asia Summit in Bangkok, India launched the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), built on seven pillars of practical maritime cooperation.
• On 28 October 2021, at the 18th ASEAN-India Summit, both sides adopted the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on the AOIP for Peace, Stability and Prosperity in the Region, linking the AOIP with the IPOI.
• In March 2025, India expanded its 2015 SAGAR vision (Security and Growth for All in the Region) into MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions).
• India is a member of every ASEAN-led forum: ARF, EAS and ADMM-Plus.

Commonly confused concepts

• AOIP vs IPOI: The AOIP (2019) is ASEAN's view of the Indo-Pacific. The IPOI (2019) is India's initiative for practical maritime cooperation. They are separate but linked by the 2021 joint statement.
• AOIP vs the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" (FOIP): FOIP is the vision of Japan and the US. The AOIP avoids taking sides and stresses inclusion, so it does not leave out China.
• ASEAN centrality vs ASEAN unity: Centrality is about ASEAN's place in the wider region. Unity is about ASEAN members agreeing among themselves. Centrality depends on unity: if members cannot agree, ASEAN cannot lead.
• ASEAN-led forums: ARF (1994, foreign ministers), EAS (2005, leaders), ADMM-Plus (2010, defence ministers). The Quad and AUKUS are not ASEAN-led.
• ASEAN Charter vs TAC: The Charter (2007) is ASEAN's own constitution, for members only. The TAC (1976) is a code of conduct that outside countries can also sign.

Issues, criticism and the way forward

• Consensus can mean paralysis. ASEAN decides by consensus, so one member can block a decision. In July 2012, at the foreign ministers' meeting in Phnom Penh, ASEAN failed to issue a joint communique for the first time in its 45-year history, because members could not agree on words about the South China Sea.
• South China Sea: Several ASEAN members have sea disputes with China. ASEAN and China signed a non-binding Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in 2002, but a binding Code of Conduct is still under negotiation.
• Myanmar: After the military takeover in February 2021, ASEAN adopted a Five-Point Consensus on 24 April 2021 in Jakarta. Its weak implementation shows ASEAN's limited tools to enforce decisions.
• New groups at the edges: Smaller groups such as the Quad (revived in 2017) and AUKUS (2021) work outside ASEAN. Critics say they reduce ASEAN's central role. Supporters say they add to, rather than replace, ASEAN-led forums.
• Great-power rivalry: US-China tension makes it harder for ASEAN to stay neutral.
• Way forward: Experts suggest ASEAN act faster through flexible formulas (where willing members move ahead), turn the AOIP's four areas into real projects, and partners such as India can strengthen centrality by working through ASEAN forums, not around them.

Concepts to Know

• Consensus: A decision is taken only when every member agrees, or at least nobody objects. No voting.
• Non-interference: The principle that one country should not get involved in the internal matters of another.
• Regional architecture: The full set of forums, groups and rules through which countries of a region meet and cooperate.
• Indo-Pacific: A way of seeing the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean as one connected region, from Africa's east coast to the Americas.
• Dialogue partner: A non-ASEAN country that has a formal, regular relationship with ASEAN as a group.
• UNCLOS: The 1982 UN treaty that sets the rules for the use of seas and oceans, including sea borders and freedom of navigation.