Russia-ASEAN Strategic Partnership as ASEAN’s Priority in the Establishment of ASEAN Community

In November 2017 at the 31st ASEAN Summit, the ASEAN Declaration to Prevent and Combat Cybercrime was adopted. The document outlined measures such as harmonization of laws related to cybercrime and electronic evidence; exploration of the feasibility of acceding to existing regional and international instruments in combating cybercrime; the development of national plans of actions in addressing cybercrimes; and the strengthening of international cooperation among member states, etcASEAN Declaration to Prevent and Combat Cybercrime. (2017). // https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ASEAN-Declaration-to-Combat-Cybercrime.pdf.

ASEAN cyber security policy is also guided by the documents as follows: ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy, the ASEAN ICT Masterplan 2020 (AIM2020), ASEAN Framework on Digital Data Governance, ASEAN Framework on Personal Data Protection, etc. Among the important events on the cyber security events are AMMTC, ASEAN Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministers' Meeting (TELMIN), AMCC, Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC), ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting on ICT Security and the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group Meeting on Cyber Security.

However, not formal documents and meetings, but practical actions build success. Singapore and Malaysia are highly ranked at the ITU's Global Cybersecurity IndexGlobal Cybersecurity Index 2018, International Telecommunication Union // https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-d/opb/str/D-STR-GCI.01-2018-PDF-E.pdf. Singapore established Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore (CSA). Being the largest contributor to ASEAN Cyber Capacity Programme Singapore launched Singapore-ASEAN Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (ASCCE) as an extension of ACCP in 2019. Singapore plans to allocate SG$30 million (approximately US$22 million) in five years. The Centre will collaborate with Australia, Canada, United States, which have suggested their programmes, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom. The United Nations-Singapore Cyber Programme (UNSCP) was initiated in 2018. Singapore has also signed bilateral agreements on cyber security cooperation with Australia, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, India, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK and the US. These countries cooperate within the framework ACCP to enhance cyber capabilities in Southeast Asia. The CSA also conducts annual ASEAN Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) Incident Drills to test incident response measures and develop cooperation among CERTs of ASEAN countries and ASEAN partners. However, in reality cooperation among CERTs still remains rather undeveloped.

Malaysia is the most prominent state and has long been one of the key enablers of technical cooperation in the region through its National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA), being the co-founder of the Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team (APCERT).

ASEAN as a whole benefits from collaboration with other countries to develop cyber security in the Southeast Asia. In 2016-2018 INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore conducted the ASEAN Cyber Capacity Development Project (ACCDP) funded by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund, providing training, seminars and workshops. Japan drives ASEAN-Japan Cybercrime (AJCC) Dialogue and in 2018 launched ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre for human resource development in Thailand. ASEAN and the US implement the Digital Connectivity and Cyber security Partnership (DCCP) and established U.S.-ASEAN Cyber Policy Dialogue during the Singapore International Cyber.

Some international organizations also contribute to ASEAN cyber capacity building and cybercrime prevention like aforementioned INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation. Among such agencies and organizations are ASEANAPOL, EUROPOL and the UN.

However, even Singapore, the pioneer of cyber security in ASEAN, has been victim of numerous cyber attacks. In December 2019 personal data relating to 2,400 Ministry of Defence and Singapore Armed Forces personnel was in jeopardy. Earlier this month the data of 120,000 individuals was found to have been infected by ransomware. In January confidential information belonging to 14,200 people with HIV was revealed to be stolen and leaked online. In July 2018 Singapore suffered its largest data breach. The information of 1.5 million patients of SingHealth's specialist outpatient clinics was compromised, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and several ministers. Singapore has also been the victim of cyberattacks. In 2017, the country was the target of three serious cyberattacks: the Ministry of Defence cyber breach in February, WannaCry Ransomware attacks in May, and Petya Ransomware in June. 96 percent of Singaporean businesses reported suffering a data breach in the period from September 2018 to September 2019 Singapore, Global Threat Report, Defender Power on the Rise, A Global Threat Research Project, VMWARE Carbon Black // https://www.carbonblack.com/land/singapore-global-threat-report-defender-power-on-the-rise/.

Among other largest breaches in Southeast Asia were unauthorized access to Toyota Motor Corporation servers at subsidiaries in Thailand and Vietnam in March 2019; at the beginning of 2019 more than 900,000 clients of pawnshop Cebuana in the Philippines were compromised due to breached email server used for marketing purposes; in October 2017 Malaysia reported that the personal details of around 46 million mobile subscribers was leaked. What is more, cyber meddling in the Cambodian Election was detected in 2018.

Breaches are becoming more damaging. Hackers still target mainly large companies, but they can also attack and disrupt critical infrastructure or harm national interests. Under the conditions of the permanents attacks becoming more sophisticated, on one hand, and the permanent threat of terrorism and extremism in the region, on the other hand, the Association is in acute need of common, holistic and wise approach to the cyber security, acting jointly.

On the domestic level the nature of the relationships in South East Asia is detrimental for the good political climate as the corruption is a common issue for the region. Moreover, internal market laws compel to act illegally addressing influential figures to benefit.

Leaders of ASEAN countries, aware of the vulnerability and fragility of each country individually, tried to develop common security, relying on strengthening unity and solidarity among states. Generally ASEAN has achieved a lot in building common security and at the first blush the existence of security community could be confirmed. However, this conclusion is arguable due to the following factors.

According to the very essence of APSC the attainment of regional peace and stability is anchored on the ability of the ASEAN member states to uphold shared values, norms, and principles Putra, Bama Andika, Darwis, & Burhanuddin. (2019). ASEAN Political-Security Community: Challenges of establishing regional security in the Southeast Asia. Journal of International Studies, 12(1), pp.33-49.. But while the main principles are state sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of the states, the APSC actually has no power to compel and discipline ASEAN countries. The rise of individual defense expenditures Ibid. of ASEAN states and their efforts to strengthen security through bilateral alliances and agreements indicate alarming orientation and tense security environment in the region. According to the theory of neorealism multipolar systems are more prone to conflicts because of formations of unpredictable structures of interactions Acharya, A. (2013). ADBI Working Paper Series ASEAN 2030: Challenges of Building a Mature Political and Security Community Asian Development Bank Institute. Kasumigaseki.. Reluctance of ASEAN to meddle into the disputes and conflicts in Southeast Asia based on the principle of non-interference, disabled ASEAN to establish sustained and confidential regional order.

Challenging for APSC is China's proactive and increasing presence in the region. Its both economic and military capacities are exceedingly better than ASEAN resources. However, striving for independence and centrality, ASEAN can't bandwagon with China, accepting its hegemony and depreciating all the tenets of the Association. To this reason ASEAN is forced to balance against China cooperating with other external actors, trying to maintain conducive relations with China. Disruptive could be considered the tendency of some states' bilateral approach towards relations with China, resulting in a division inside ASEAN.

The rift is also underpinned by the states' individual relationships with other great powers like the US, India and Japan. All the achievements and benefits of the ASEAN Political-Security Community and its common security patterns could be depreciated without unity among ASEAN member states. Hence alongside with its efforts to ramp up the capacities the Association has to focus on building favourable internal conditions for appealing unity.

ASEAN Security Community Plan of Action emphasizes strong interconnection among political, economic and social areas and proclaims that ASEAN Security Community should address a wide scope of issues to build ASEAN Community, acknowledging the principle of comprehensive security based on political and social stability, economic prosperity, narrowed development gap, poverty alleviation and reduction of social disparity ASEAN Security Community Plan of Action 2012. // https://asean.org/?static_post=asean-security-community-plan-of-action . Non-less challenging are emerging non-traditional (trans-border) security threats like migration, pandemics, food and health security, etc. Against this background economic and social matters are vital for ASEAN as a whole.

2.3 ASEAN Economic Community

Southeast Asia states laid the foundation for the ASEAN Economic Community in 1993 by establishing ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA). The next step in this direction was made after the Asian financial crisis, when ASEAN countries realized the need for joining forces and developing common approaches in the economic sphere. The states presumed that economic rapprochement could help overcome the vulnerability of individual countries' economies as they are susceptible due to their small scale and fragmentation; integration will facilitate the creation of common market spurring the external investments thus bolstering economic development.

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), planned to be built to 2015, was aimed at creating a single market and a single production base in Southeast Asia, including free flow of goods, services, investment, capital and skilled labour, intensifying integration in the priority sectors, which could serve as catalyst for the overall integration, and enhance competitiveness of ASEAN's food, agriculture and forestry products/commodities; increasing the competitiveness of ASEAN countries by the means of competition policy, consumer protection, development of intellectual property rights, appropriate infrastructure, taxation and e-commerce; fostering economic development, particularly creating conditions for the MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) and addressing the development divide and accelerate the economic integration of the less developed ASEAN Member Countries; and optimizing the integration of the region into the global economic processes by coherent approach and enhanced participation in global supply networks 2007 ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint. // https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/archive/5187-10.pdf. Thus the main implied goal was to create coercive business conditions for inter ASEAN relations and foreign investors.

The project has both tactical and strategic value. In the near-term perspective the beneficial outcomes are to some extent steps to the comprehensive integration. In strategic perspective positioning ASEAN as a single economic community helps the Association to attract investors and with agreed position on important issues more effectively defend its interests in relations with other actors, thus laying the foundation for more powerful and competitive community and its participation in global value chains Kanaev A.E. The formation of the ASEAN Community. West - East - Russia 2015. Yearbook. Edited: D. B. Malysheva M .: IMEMO RAS, 2016.S. 49-53. p51..

On the way to success one always faces obstacles and challenges, so does ASEAN in case of Economic Community. For instance, the average Internet-penetration in the region was low, approximately 53%, and varied enormously among countries: from 86% in Brunei to 26% in Lao PDR and Myanmar Kemp S. (2017). Digital in Southeast Asia in 2017. We Are Social. // https://wearesocial.com/special-reports/digital-southeast-asia-2017 . This distinction even takes place at present: in 2019 in Brunei Darussalam raised up to 94, 9% and Singapore 84, 5%, while in Myanmar only to 33, 1% Internet penetration in selected Asian countries as of June 2019, by country. Statista. // https://www.statista.com/statistics/281668/internet-penetration-in-southeast-asian-countries/ and Lao PDR 35, 4%. Average number of Internet subscribers in the region per 100 persons was 48, 5 ASEAN Economic Integration Brief, № 5, June 2019 / URL: https://asean.org/storage/2019/06/AEIB_5th_Issue_Released.pdf.

While trans-national corporations are inclined to cooperate with the most economically prosperous countries in the region, leading ASEAN economies have low interest in partnership with less developed states and even seek to cooperate with non-ASEAN ones. Therefore there is a development gap because undeveloped economies lack external resources which are circulating among more economically advanced actors. The situation is aggravated by the fact that ASEAN could not oblige its member state to act against their will, because cooperation is voluntary according to ASEAN principles. But if ASEAN changes principles, it should be officially declared that some member states are inferior to others what contradicts ASEAN principle of equality.

To bridge the development gap and overcome poverty ASEAN leader adopted in 2000 Initiative for ASEAN Integration to assist the less developed countries, especially CLMV countries Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam, to cope with the challenges and to meet the Association's targets as the steps towards realizing ASEAN community. IAI has seen the adoption of three work plans. The latest one IAI Work Plan III (2016-2020) was adopted as an integral part of the ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together.

There were some improvements as the CLMV countries demonstrated significant economic upswing: the GDP was growing in 2013-2014 on average for 6, 6 % per year ASEAN Statistics / ASEAN Secretariat. Jakarta, August 2015/ URL:

www.aseansec.org/news/asean-secretariat-news/item/asean-gdp-grows P. 40.. However, the gap was not reduced as average per capita income in CLMV countries was much lower than in other member states. For example, in 2013 Singapore was 32 times ahead of Vietnam, 37 ? Lao PDR, 53 times ahead of Cambodia and 60 ? Myanmar АSEAN Community in Figures (ACIF), www.asean.org / ASEAN Secretariat. Jakarta, 2014. P. 17..

Nevertheless, according to the official data, in 2015 the Association has fully implemented two of its initial goals: equitable economic development and integration into the global economy; while single market and production base was established for 92, 4% and competitive economic region was created for 90, 5% A Blueprint for Growth ASEAN Economic Community 2015: Progress and Key Achievements, Jakarta: ASEAN Secretariat, November 2015 / URL: https://www.usasean.org/system/files/downloads/aec_2015_progress_and_key_achievements_04.11.2015.pdf. Although ASEAN declared the formal Establishment of ASEAN Community 2015 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Community. //https://www.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/KL-Declaration-on-Establishment-of-ASEAN-Community-2015.pdf at the 27^th Summit, in reality there was much to be done. Therefore the Association adopted the document “ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together” ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together. (2015). //https://www.asean.org/storage/2015/12/ASEAN-2025-Forging-Ahead-Together-final.pdf, comprising new blueprints for the ASEAN Community and its three pillars until 2025. In general, new roadmap was a logical continuation of the previous one, preserving the relevant vision. However, the new plans prioritize the interests and civil rights of people, with a new emphasis on the development businesses. To some extent new roadmap is more distinct and deliberate. The Association broadens its plans craving influence on the global processes.

With the adoption of “ASEAN 2025” actually the model development phase was completed and its practical implementation began. ASEAN adopted numerous documents clarifying plans and tasks in different spheres: ASEAN Work Plan on Good Regulatory Practice, Strategic Action Plan 2016-2025 for ASEAN Taxation Cooperation, ASEAN Trade Repository, ASEAN Institutional Framework on Access to Finance for MSMEs. AEC 2025 Consolidated Strategic Action Plan - CSAP was aimed to inform investors about conditions in AEC and its specific features ASEAN Economic Community 2025 Consolidated Strategic Action Plan. Endorsed by the AEM and AEC Council on 6 February 2017. URL: // http://asean.org/storage/2012/05/Consolidated-Strategic-Action-Plan-endorsed-060217rev.pdf .

ASEAN Tariff Finder and ASEAN Seamless Trade Facilitation Indicators are to ease trade exchanges among ASEAN members and between the Association and partners within the format ASEAN +1; ASEAN Solutions for Investments, Services and Trade represent a consultative mechanism on cross-border cooperation.

ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) targets at elimination of trade barriers and lowering business costs. Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Thailand have eliminated intra-ASEAN import duties on 99, 65 % of products. Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar have reduced their import duties to 0-5% on 98.86 % of goodsInvest in ASEAN / URL: http://investasean.asean.org/index.php/page/view/asean-free-trade-area-agreements/view/757/newsid/872/asean-trade-in-goods-agreement.html. Notwithstanding the liberalization of trade in 2018 for intra-ASEAN trade accounted only 23% ASEAN Economic Integration Brief. № 5. June 2019. // https://asean.org/storage/2019/06/AEIB_5th_Issue_Released.pdf of the overall volume.

ASEAN has relatively successfully overcome some challenges, but in the present world and regional conditions new ones have emerged. Growing competitiveness, continuous territorial disputes, some side effect of globalization and, e.g., ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 heat nationalism as people wish to protect themselves from possible threats and avoid damage. Nationalism is also heated by the process of building sovereignty by states with the colonial past. Furthermore, some business representatives, close to authorities, lobby protectionist measures to protect local enterprises from being superseded by foreign companies.

There still is an enormous development divide among ASEAN member states. Gini Ratio varies from the lowest in Cambodia 0, 31 to the highest in Malaysia 0, 46 ASEAN Key Figures 2019. //  https://www.aseanstats.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ASEAN_Key_Figures_2019.pdf. In International Logistics Performance Index Singapore has 7^th rank, while Cambodia is on the 98^th place and Myanmar on 137^th International Logistics performance index, Global ranking 2018. (2019). The World Bank // https://lpi.worldbank.org/international/global/2018.%202019 .

In this regard China's growing presence in the region could be considered as an ambiguous factor. On the one hand, China's BRI megaproject could facilitate ASEAN to integrate in geoeconomic environment under the terms of connectivity enhancing. Thereby ASEAN will be able to expand its markets, what is essential to maintain economic growth, particularly increasing the involvement in the production chains. Participation in the BRI could promise the influx of China's investments in the infrastructure. Moreover, China's active Southeast Asia policy may increase the activity of Japan, Republic of Korea and India, enabling ASEAN to expand and diversify the investments and technologies Kanaev E.A. ASEAN Economic Community: A New Business Space. Southeast Asia: Current Development Challenges. 2017. № 37. pp. 14-27. P.16.. Besides, practically all initiatives for development and integration should be supported by digital. In ASEAN digital support to large extent is provided by China within the framework of the cooperation initiatives, what helps the Association to compensate the absence of its own resources.

But, on the other hand, the dominance of China's property in digital sector precludes the development of domestic products, making ASEAN economy strategically dependent on China. At the same time, this issue has a security aspect as China has its mega strategy, which alongside with proclaimed economic goals apparently is pursuing political objectives. Relying mainly on China's digital technologies could threaten political autonomy of ASEAN. Being practically oriented neither China, nor Japan or India will finance regional provincial infrastructure, required for the stable development and single market building. Whether the realization of BRI will be successfully coordinated with Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), contributing to the regional connectivity and prosperity of the APR, or will supersede RCEP is the crucial question for the Association as by the means of RCEP, based on ASEAN+3 (China, Japan, South Korea) and ASEAN+6 (plus Australia, New Zealand, India has opted out of RCEP in November 2019) formats, ASEAN intends to consolidate standalone agreements ASEAN +1 of forenamed states with AFTA boost trade by reducing tariffs, standardizing customs rules and procedures thus easing commerce on the territory. Establishment of RCEP in a top priority for the Association by virtue of its immense potential in numerous dimensions.

At the same time some ASEAN members actively made bilateral free trade agreements with non-ASEAN countries at early 2000s. Especially active are Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. This trend is not welcomed by less developed ASEAN countries and the Association as well, because large number of such bilateral agreements with external partners called “spaghetti bowl” may hinder regional integration which risks to be replaced by the system of bilateral relations of ASEAN member states with larger partners from the entire Asia-Pacific region Ibid. P. 15.. Experts noted this resulted in the emergence of detached contracts which impede the formation of a single competitive environment, not to mention integration processes Mikheev V.V., Shvydko V.G Formation of a new system of trans-Pacific security and cooperation. Scientific report // IMEMO RAS, 2013. P. 53. .

Despite the fact that in 2019 Southeast Asia's internet economy surpassed US$100 billion, tripling in size over the last four years J.Paine, How Asean's dreams of digital integration across Southeast Asia can come true, South China Morning Post, January 26, 2020 / URL: https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3047445/how-aseans-dreams-digital-integration-across-southeast-asia-can, the Association seems to be not prepared enough to the “fourth industrial revolution” to benefit from it and overcome its possible negative social consequences. For the state governments and the Association on the whole the automation and digitalization of the manufacturing may raise the question of released labour force and social stability. Dismissed workers will have to be supplied with new jobs. Otherwise, mass unemployment may lead to inevitable decline in living standards and social protests, allowed by new technologies and social networks to mobilize a large number of people a short time Kanaev E. ASEAN at Fifty: Factors behind the “Success Stories”. - Moscow, IMEMO, 2017. - 39 р. P.27..

Another fear is that the Association can lose its achievements of the Economic Community, and AFTA as its part due to deficiency of digital support. While Malaysia launched the Digital Free Trade Zone in 2017, some other states still have few capacities for boosting internet economy. Digitalization will also terminate the Asian model of cheap manufacturing. ASEAN may find itself unable to be the driver of regional trade exchanges unless upgrade its infrastructure and institutions, as well as build up constructive people-to-people contacts in the region and beyond E. Kanaev, FACING THE INEVITABLE: AFTA, THE DIGITAL CHALLENGES AND THE ASEAN BRAND PERSPECTIVE, Southeast Asia: Actual Development Issues, 2019, P.25. ASEAN should imply a holistic approach since to be competitive the Association should act as a single space. Nowadays this is hardly possible in view of digital inequality which has not been eliminated yet. E.g. 98% of adults in Singapore, 85% in Malaysia and 82% in Thailand have their own bank accounts, while in Cambodia only 22%, in Myanmar 26% in Lao PDR 29% have ones The Global Findex Database 2017. World Bank Group. // http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/332881525873182837/pdf/126033-PUB-PUBLIC-pubdate-4-19-2018.pdf.

ASEAN ICT sector currently largely depend on China IT companies. According to the experts, Chinese multinational conglomerate Tencent and e-commerce company JD.com invested more than 200 billion dollars in technology company Gojek; Tencent and Didi Chuxing invested in Southeast Asian car sharing industry. The e-commerce giant Alibaba's intended to acquire Indonesian company Tokopedia. In 2017 Alibaba invested one billion dollar in the Singapore-based on-line retailer Lazada Group, present in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam and then in march 2018 billion dollars, increasing its share to 83% E. Kanaev, FACING THE INEVITABLE… P.26.

China's digital activities to some extent are conducted within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), to be precise Digital Silk Road concept. For example, Huawei and ZTE are involved in infrastructure building, laying fiber cables through the region B. Harding, China's Digital Silk Road and Southeast Asia, CSIS, February 15, 2019 / URL: https://www.csis.org/analysis/chinas-digital-silk-road-and-southeast-asia. Chinese companies also try to develop 5G in the region and have practically monopolized the Southeast Asia mobile market. China's digital push into the region may be beneficial presenting opportunities both ASEAN in terms of development and China with the aim of commercial profit. However, China's control over vast amounts of data could pose strategic risks to the Association as ICT infrastructure may be used for espionage and to underpin China's security system over the Southeast Asia Ibid.. Thus ASEAN members are generally reluctant to adopt Chinese hardware Ibid..

Some ASEAN states even adopt China's cyber model. Vietnam imposes restrictions on data localization, its new cyber security law may seriously imperil privacy and data security, creating adverse environment for business; Indonesia also implement such elements of China's model as data localization and control of content alongside with new e-commerce regulations rather unfovaourable for entrepreneurs and SMEs J.Paine, How Asean's dreams of digital integration across Southeast Asia can come true, South China Morning Post, January 26, 2020 //https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3047445/how-aseans-dreams-digital-integration-across-southeast-asia-can.

To solve the aforementioned tasks and attain safeguard its independence ASEAN adopted Framework for Personal Data Protection, ASEAN Cyber Capacity Programme, established ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Electronic Commerce, etc. In this context elaboration of “integrated digital economy” was proclaimed as one of the core goals in the ASEAN ICT Masterplan The ASEAN ICT Masterplan 2020 / URL: https://www.asean.org/storage/images/2015/November/ICT/15b%20--%20AIM%202020_Publication_Final.pdf alongside with human capital development and information security and assurance, fostering collaboration between public and private sectors to spur innovative initiatives. However, plans can take year to implement. The Association definitely should support the collaboration in the private sector to build the trusty environment and provide access to the technologies and investments. Besides, creation of inter-Association cross-sector partnerships among domestic companies can be worthwhile E. Kanaev, FACING THE INEVITABLE..., P.29..

Related to this, in the Ease of Doing Business ranking the highest are Singapore (2), Malaysia (12) and Thailand (21), and the lowest Lao PDR (154) and Myanmar (165) Ease of doing business ranking, Doing Business 2020. World Bank Group. // http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/688761571934946384/pdf/Doing-Business-2020-Comparing-Business-Regulation-in-190-Economies.pdf. In this context, in 2017 ASEAN launched ASEAN Inclusive Business Framework aimed at actualizing an enabling environment for inclusive business. 2017 ASEAN Declaration on Innovation and ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI) 2016-2025 are to encourage cooperation for innovation development and enhance the role of science and technologies in the building of ASEAN Community.

ASEAN cooperates also with the US in term of digital capacity building. For instance, U.S.-ASEAN Connect's Digital Economy Series allows ASEAN representatives contact U.S. technology companies to acquire practices in the digital sector. Google controls almost the whole range of contextual advertisement in the region, Facebook dominates in social networks, Amazon is the leader of electronic books market.

The ASEAN Single Window Initiative, comprising all the National Single Windows and which has proven to reduce the costs of doing business and boost trade and investments helping to increase transparency of cross-border data exchanges (customs information), was developed with the US technical assistance to upgrade technical software. The ASEAN Single Window allows importers once having passed the customs procedures to one of the states not to repeat them for further transportation of the same cargo to another state. Traders and customs brokers registered in the system are provided with full database of documentation.

ASEAN strives to attain economic unity, sustainability and prosperity, maintain its centrality in the region and independence, serving as "bridge builder" of economic processes throughout Asia. The Association considers economic integration as the means of risk hedging to ensure future sustainable growth and development of member states' economies as well as the source of new technologies, practices and external investments. Total FDI inflows in 2018 constituted US$154, 7 billion ASEAN Key Figures 2019. // https://www.aseanstats.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ASEAN_Key_Figures_2019.pdf, 84, 1% were of extra-ASEAN Investments.

However, economic integration may have opposite detrimental effect on the homogeneity and efficiency of ASEAN Community as it may increase inequality among its member states. The benefits of integration depend on the country's capability to attract and effectively use the emerging resources. The lack of technical base and skilled workers may prevent countries with lower level of economic development from participation in the regional value chains where goods and services with high added value are produced. Inability of those countries to adapt to the modernization and digitalization of economic relations will obviously impede their economic development and consequently hinder the overall progress of the Community. At the same time many local businesses are exposed to be overtaken by more competitive foreign companies. Therefore, while extensively growing ASEAN Economic Community should focus on the qualitative improvements especially in lagging countries.

By establishing Economic Community ASEAN intends to gain more strength and benefit from expanding and deepening cooperation with external partners. Despite the ambitious plans, strong principles and promising ideas ASEAN risks its initiatives to be replaced by China's projects. Due to the absence of many of its own technologies and products and in the conditions when China's BRI gains momentum, ASEAN largely relies on China's support. To economically benefit from China's outward-looking plans and retain the independence Community should wisely balance among partners and boost elaboration of domestic products.

ASEAN Economic Community and the Association itself have made a considerable progress and achieved a lot. Combined ASEAN GDP in 2018 was US$3, 0 trillion with economic growth 5, 2%, so ASEAN was fifth-largest economy in the world. While in 2008 it rated only US$1,6trillion ASEAN Key Figures 2019, Jakarta: ASEAN Secretariat, October 2019 / URL: https://www.aseanstats.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ASEAN_Key_Figures_2019.pdf. Following the goals of Economic Community and aspiring for the best ASEAN member states should motivate each other and cooperate not to get stuck in the middle income trap and maintain economic upswing.

2.4 ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community

The primary goal of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) is to forge a common identity and build a caring and sharing society of Southeast Asian states through human development, including advancing education and Information and Communication Technology; social welfare and protection, justice and rights; ensuring environmental sustainability; building common identity and narrowing the development gap ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint. (2009). // https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/archive/5187-19.pdf. ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community was expected to help overcome some negative consequences of globalization, urbanization, modernization and industrialization.

According to official data of ASEAN Secretariat, the percentage of people living in poverty (below the level of daily income of $ 1.25.) declined from 47 % in 1990 to 14% in 2016. The rate of starving or lacking food people in ASEAN countries decreased from 30.4 % to 8.9%. However, member states drastically differ from each other. For example, in ASEAN-6 countries the annual income per capita increased from $ 1453 in 1999 to $ 4816 in 2016 at current prices, whereas in ASEAN-4 the income grew $ 300 up to $ 1803. The infant mortality rate fell for more than a third since 1984 from 89 per thousand people to 2618 in 2016. 95% of the overall population in the region was able to read and write. The number of mobile phones per thousand inhabitants grew from 43 in 2000 to 1449 in 2016 while the number of Internet users increased from 23 to 378 people per thousand Celebrating ASEAN: 50 Years of Evolution and Progress. A Statistical Publication. (2017) // https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ASEAN50_Master_Publication.pdf .

If in terms of education ASEAN achieved its goals: three universities from ASEAN are in top 50 Asia universities Asia University Rankings 2019. The World University Ranking. // https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2019/regional-ranking#!/page/1/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats , practically 100% of ASEAN citizens receive the primary education and illiteracy (for 2019 seven member states exceeded adult literacy rate of 90% ASEAN Key Figures 2019. // https://www.aseanstats.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ASEAN_Key_Figures_2019.pdf ) has been eradicated, even though both aims were achieved by individual efforts of the countries; the issue of labour migrants remains unresolved.

Unequal development of ASEAN member countries generates permanent flows of people seeking for better life. High demand for workers in urban areas and the prospect of better conditions attract migrants from declining rural terrains. In 2007 ASEAN adopted Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. However, it does not decide much in reality since the regulations of rights and responsibilities of sending (Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam) and receiving (Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore) countries are absent in the document which is non-binding. The lack of regulatory strict directives leads to contradictions among states ASEAN Community 2015: Integration for Whom? Policy Brief. IBON International. (2015). // http://iboninternational.org/wp-content/uploads/attachments/IBON%20Policy%20Brief%20on%20ASEAN%20integration.pdf P.5..

The issue is touched upon also in ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025, which envisages reducing bureaucracy for work visas. But most of measures are focused on the migration of high-skilled workers thus the majority of work migrants comprising of low-skill workers remain marginalized.

Therefore after protracted negotiations in 2017 Manila Consensus on the Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers was signed. The documents articulated the basic rights of migrant workers, allowed to create their own unions, provide them with the rules of social insurance and security, prevent abuses, exploitation and violence, etc. The ASEAN Commission on Migrant Workers (ACMW) is to monitor compliance of sending and receiving states with accepted norms and rights of labour migrants. But again the attention is paid mainly to the skilled professionals, while the policy towards low-paid ones remains restrictive.

At the same time any economic migrant experience mistreatments including illegal financial demanding and high charges, frauds, nonpayment of salaries, violations of labour and workplace safety standards. Some even suffer from physical violence, trafficking, and sexual abuse Syed Munir Khasru. (2018, November, 20). Migration ? the forgotten part of ASEAN integration. Nikkei Asian Review. // https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Migration-the-forgotten-part-of-ASEAN-integration. Integration indeed eases some issues and broadens the opportunities, but to exploit them one should be mobile, trained and protected. Low/semiskilled workers have less support from the states thus they are unable to make use of the opportunities offered by regional integration without guaranteed negative consequences, being more prone to job insecurity and violation of their rights. Also despite the efforts to create common ASEAN identity among member states, ethnic and racial prejudices still remain alongside with hatred of receiving-country workers towards migrants who are construed as to steal locals' jobs ASEAN Community 2015: Integration for Whom?... P. 12. .

The issue of migration has another unfovourable aspect. Deflux of both skilled professionals and low-paid workers from less developed countries obviously lead to lack of those in sending countries resulting in increasing division of development among the states.

The problem of migrants is tightly connected with the respect for human rights. As a step in the way ASEAN handles the protection of basic human rights was the creation of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights in 2009. One should point out that this issue like the problem of migrants is very sensitive and most of states prefer not to discuss it, and the establishment of the Commission was a real achievement. The newly launched intuition was to develop strategies and measures for human rights protection, raise public awareness on the issue, collect data and facilitate the implementation of set norms and offered instruments.

In 2012 ASEAN members unanimously adopted ASEAN Human Rights Declaration asserting the basic human rights of all ASEAN people. Then the question is whether the document has any practical weight. The declaration has no binding force. It is largely criticized by many human rights organizations ASEAN Human Rights Declaration: a step forward or a slide backwards? (2012, November, 21). the Conversation. // https://theconversation.com/asean-human-rights-declaration-a-step-forward-or-a-slide-backwards-10895 for its drafting process which did not include consultations with stakeholders and was conducted without the release of the terms of reference. Moreover, the Declaration itself raises questions and disapproval. For instance, principle 6 declares that “the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms must be balanced with the performance of corresponding duties as every person has responsibilities to all other individuals, the community and the society where one lives” ASEAN Human Rights Declaration // https://asean.org/asean-human-rights-declaration/. This is reasonable and has sense, but one may understand this as if the enjoyment of human rights is conditional upon individual behavior, what contradicts international norms, mandating absolute primacy of human rights.

Experts may find more controversial moments in the text, nevertheless, one should asses its practical effectiveness. The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, according to Article 2 of the Terms of Reference, must adhere to the principle of state sovereignty and independence. Thus the Commission is incapable of compulsion; it has no legitimacy to sanction states, conduct investigations so to panelize. There are numerous violations of human rights in recent years. One of the most significant examples of ASEAN's inability to protect human rights and handle delinquencies was the Rohingya Crisis, one of the most severe world refugee crises. The violence caused the exodus of more than 600,000 Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh. The religious strife transformed into the crackdown and chaotic killings including innocent civilians did not receive any effective response from ASEAN. The Association kept blind eye on the issue. The Association failed to supply confidence building measures and post-conflict peace building.

Problematic for ASEAN was Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug campaign which was supported by the citizens of the Philippines and caused thousands of deaths. ASEAN kept silent and faced a lot of criticism from the world community, the UN in particular. The Association did not try to curtail the severe abuses of the citizens by the authorities Putra, Bama Andika, Darwis, & Burhanuddin. Op.cit. and proved to be ineffective in the issue of human rights protection.

There are constant crackdowns on the religious basis in Vietnam, where branches of independent Protestant and Catholic house churches, Khmer Krom Buddhist temples, Cao Dai Church, Hoa Hao Buddhist Church, and the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam are often scrutinized, harassed and intimidated by police Human Rights Watch Report 2019. Vietnam // https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/vietnam.

There were also plans to create civil society among the members of ASEAN Community. For this purpose the Association established ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children, Regional Forum on Migrant Labour, ASEAN Resource Centers for civil service capacity-building, Regional Center on Humanitarian Assistance Coordination, etc. Meanwhile even officials do not fully understand what civil society actually means and why it is necessary, especially in non-democratic countries.

According to surveys, conducted on the occasion of ASEAN 50 anniversary, only 58% of Southeast Asia citizens believe that they have a lot in common, and only 43% of them describe themselves as `Southeast Asian', while 51% consider themselves as Asian first A Study of Southeast Asian Perceptions, ASEAN turns 50. (2017) // https://www.blackbox.com.sg/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ASEAN-Turns-50.pdf. The majority (65%) of ASEAN citizens associate it with economic growth, 38% connect the Association with security / defense and only 25% with socio-cultural dimension Ibid.. At the same time, according to the survey of ERIA more than 75% of respondents considered themselves as ASEAN citizens in 2017, 50% of them noted that they perceive themselves as the citizens of the Association to a significant degree ". However, most of the people said that the community feeling is formed mainly due to geographical proximity and is not directly related to the ASEAN Community activities Voices of ASEAN. (2017). What Does ASEAN Mean to ASEAN Peoples? Economic Research Institute for

ASEAN and East Asia. // http://www.eria.org/ASEAN_at_50_2.1_Integrative_final.pdf . At the same time the vast majority considers ASEAN as an economic institution, and only 17% of respondents under the age of 30 are well acquainted with what Association is Ibid..

In reality the sense of common identity is likely to be even lower. That is proved by continual ethnic and religious clashes and oppressions. Southeast Asia represents peoples of different cultures, political systems, religions, languages and levels of development, the processes of national integration in some countries are not completed yet, thus the identity building is more active in individual countries. In 2020 ASEAN launched Year of ASEAN Identity to promote “we-feeling” and raise awareness of the Association. Creation of the sense of belonging is a very long-lasting process, but manageable as identity is a constructivist phenomenon rather than inevitable and unchangeable characteristic.

The issue of climate change also has recently become pressing for the Southeast Asia countries. Myanmar (2), the Philippines (4), Vietnam (6), Thailand (8) are among countries the most affected by weather events in 1999-2018Eckstein D., Kьnzel V., Schдfer L., Winges M. Global Climate Risk Index 2020. GERMANWATCH. // https://germanwatch.org/sites/germanwatch.org/files/20-2-01e%20Global%20Climate%20Risk%20Index%202020_14.pdf. The region constantly experiences increasing frequency and intensity of sea level rise, tropical cyclones, heat waves, etc. Annual haze has become a usual, but still frightening and devastating phenomenon. Southeast Asia heavily exploit coal the demand of which is forecasted to be growing Southeast Asia Energy Outlook 2019. International energy agency. // https://www.iea.org/reports/southeast-asia-energy-outlook-2019. ASEAN tries to mitigate the problem, by the means of ASEAN Working Group on Climate Change serving as a consultative and collaborative platform, collaboration with external partners, e.g. India has completed several projects on information exchange with the Association, commitment to Paris Agreement and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and implementing regional strategies on issues like energy. However, ASEAN seems to be still relying more on disaster management rather than on preemptive actions.

All the elements and goals of ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community are vital for the Association to enhance its goodwill and gain muscles in the international relations. To attain its goals and play more decisive role the Association has to act not only as a united group of states but also as a commonality asserting its values whilst satisfying global trends Vejjajiva A. The Critical Importance of Socio-cultural Community for the Future of ASEAN, Book Release: Building ASEAN Community: Political-Security and Socio-Cultural Reflections, ERIA. / URL: https://www.eria.org/news-and-views/book-release-building-asean-community-political-security-and-socio-cultural-reflections/ P.9..

There has been steady and vivid progress. However, many issues need to be addressed. It is not still clear what kind of Community ASEAN aspires to create and what ASEAN identity means in practice as it has never been stipulated. Socio-Cultural community seems to be less important than those about security and economy. The Association had better to focus more deliberately on the socio-cultural matters and prioritize ties uniting the Southeast Asia countries. Otherwise, ASEAN will be seen just as a grouping struggling for autonomy and trying to have its voice in the world community Ibid..

Socio-cultural narrative in Southeast Asia has no common background. The goal is then to find fruitful ground for the collective feeling without erasing national identities. It can be considered as a core task for ASEAN as a community since the identity is the ultimate aspect of “imagined community”.

Solidarity among both member states and peoples of ASEAN, common identity, guaranteed human rights alongside with diversity of mutually enriching cultures may contribute to the unity of ASEAN nations and stability in the region hence will strengthen its security and lay solid foundation for the economic prosperity.