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We do not need to go over the fact that, though to varying degrees, many of the regional systems in the Asian or Asia-Pacific region have relied on the existence of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), a coalition of small states. Often, as the operation policies of these regional systems the so-called ASEAN Way has been adopted, a principle long advocated by ASEAN. The reasons behind this, in a nutshell, were that large-scale systems including ASEAN were somehow useful for countries outside ASEAN, and that in order for the non-ASEAN countries to include the ASEAN countries in the large-scale systems, they had to accept the operation policies advocated by the ASEAN states.

However, regional systems in the Asian or Asia-Pacific region have grown significantly complex. In particular, the complexity has become quite remarkable since the beginning of this century. Amidst such moves, along with ASEAN undergoing transformations and changes of its own, there have emerged regional systems independent from ASEAN. With this background, in this presentation I aim to point toward the on-going phenomenon we might call the regional systematization of moves away from "ASEAN dependency" and, if possible, would like to explore its characteristics.

In the presentation, after reviewing the development of regional systems like ASEAN, I will point you toward the following two emerging features: (1) the construction of systems free from the "ASEAN dependency" in non-ASEAN states; (2) the orientation of the ASEAN states toward moving away from the "ASEAN dependency." Following that, I would like to sort out debates and struggles over the move of regional systems away from the "ASEAN Way" or "Asian Way."

This presentation is based on "On-Going Move away from 'ASEAN dependency' in Asia: From My Humble Observation," a presentation given in response to the common discussion theme "Re-examining Asian Regional Systems: The Present State and Analysis of the 'Asian Way'" at the 2010 National Convention of the Japan Association for Asian Studies (October 23-24, 2010, at Komaba Campus, the University of Tokyo).

[Instructor]

YAMAKAGE Susumu

I graduated in 1972 from the Department of International Studies at the College of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo. In 1974 I finished the Master's Program at the Department of Social Sciences of the same University. From 1974 to 1976 I studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After serving at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, I was appointed Assistant Professor at the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo. In 1982 I received my doctoral degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since 1991 I have served as Professor at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo.