6/28/2016

DutertesDefenseDiplomacyConundrum:TheCaseofADMMandADMMPlus|TheDiplomat

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Dutertes Defense Diplomacy Conundrum: The Case of ADMM and ADMMPlus

Can ADMM move to address sensitive regional security issues without dividing ASEAN?
By Mico A. Galang
June 03, 2016

Assoonastheinauguralfestivitiesareover,PresidentelectRodrigoDutertesadministrationwillbeginpreparingforoneof
themostimportantdiplomaticeventsofhispresidency:the2017PhilippinechairmanshipofASEAN.Notonlywilltheoccasion
besignificantforthecountry,itwillalsobemilestonefortheorganization,whichwillcelebratethe50thanniversaryofits
foundingduringManilaswatch.
AmongtheanticipatedgatheringsforthatyeararetheASEANDefenseMinistersMeeting(ADMM),andtheADMMPlus.
Remarkably,comparedwithotherASEANplatforms,theADMMhasexpandedswiftly.Asonescholarpointedout,Withina
spanofmerelyalittlebitofmorethanfouryearsandwithjusteightmeetings,theADMMhasexpandedtoincludeeightof
ASEANsdialoguepartnersintowhatisnowknownastheADMMPlus.ForthePhilippines,the10thADMM,heldinMay
2016inLaos,waslargelyasuccess,withManilasproposalofcreatingacybersecurityexpertworkinggroup(EWG)forthe
ADMMPlusbeingadoptedduringthemeeting.
Notwithstandingtheseachievements,however,theseASEANledplatformsarefacingchallenges.Theforemoststrategic
concernistheemergingregionalpowershiftintheAsiaPacific,withtheSouthChinaSeadisputeastheoperationaltheater.The
issuehasexposedsomeindicationsofASEANsdivisions,andthusappearstothreatenthegroupscentralityintheregional
securityarchitecture.Indeed,themaritimedisputewasthereasonwhythe3rdADMMPlus,inwhichtheUnitedStatesand
Chinaaremembers,failedtoissueajointstatement.
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Anotherstrategicchallengeistheseemingdeficiencyoffunctionalcooperationinitiativestoaddresstraditionalsecurity
concerns.FunctionalcooperationtheoristErnstHassarguedthatitwouldcontributetoworldpeacebycreatingever
expandingislandsofpracticalcooperation,eventuallyspillingoverintothecontroversyladenfields.Suchanapproachwas
apparentintheADMMwhentheministersagreedtodeveloppracticalcooperationamongtheminthefieldofdefenseand
security.However,therehasyettobeaclearanddefinitiveindicationthattheASEANanditsdialoguepartnershavemoved
towardcooperationonmorecontentiousgeopoliticalissues.
Inviewofthesechallenges,therehavebeencallsfortheADMMandADMMPlustofocusmoreontraditionalsecurity
concerns.Whilesuchshifthasastrategicimperativeandindeednecessity,itwillnotbeeasybecauseofthevaryingpolitico
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6/28/2016

DutertesDefenseDiplomacyConundrum:TheCaseofADMMandADMMPlus|TheDiplomat

securityandeconomicinterestsofthememberstates.Theexistingchallengesseemtosuggestthatthetwoplatformshave
severelimitsandconstraintsandthereforecannotmovemoreproactivelyinaddressingthepressingsecurityconcernsofthe
region.Moreover,thesechallengesarelikelytogobeyondthehostingofmultilateralactivitiesbyonecountry.
Inthiscontext,theDuterteadministrationisfacedbyadefensediplomacyconundrum.Ontheonehand,Manilasleadership
mustbeabletoprojectthestrategicsignificanceoftheseplatformsintheregionalsecurityarchitecturebyaddressingnotonly
nontraditionalsecurityconcerns,buttraditionalissuesaswell.Suchamoveisimportantbecauseoftheevolvingregional
securitylandscape.Butontheotherhand,anattempttoaddressgeostrategicissues,suchastheSouthChinaSea,risksthe
unravelingofASEANcentrality.Manilamustthereforepreventarepeatofthe2015ADMMPlus,wherenojointstatementwas
issued.Clearly,thePhilippinesmuststrikeacarefulbalancebetweentheseimportantconsiderationsasithoststhetworegional
defenseplatforms.
Inthisregard,thePhilippineschairmanshipmayfocusonconductingacomprehensivereviewoftheaccomplishmentsmade
thusfarbytheADMMandtheADMMPlus.Inparticular,Manilamayleadotherdefenseministersinassessingthe
achievementsmadeunderitsThreeYearWorkPrograms,firstissuedin2007,whichidentifykeyactivitiestobeundertaken
throughoutthesaidtimeframe.SuchaproposalistimelybecausethenextworkprogramwillbeissuedunderManilas
stewardship.WithrespecttotheADMMPlus,anevaluationoftheeffortsoftheEWGsmaylikewisebethoroughlydiscussed.
Overall,asystematicreviewoftheachievementsoftheADMMandADMMPluswilldisclosehowprofoundthepractical
cooperationapproachisandwhetherthesamewilleventuallyspillovertogeostrategicregionalconcerns.
MicoA.GalangisaresearcherattheNationalDefenseCollegeofthePhilippines(NDCP).Theviewsexpressedareofthe
authorsaloneanddonotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialpositionofNDCP.

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