“In ASEM [Asia Europe Meeting] in Brussels…and at the 2nd US – ASEAN Summit [New York], one same message came out, and that is, the US and Europe would like to get out of their own crisis. They have to be able to sell their products and their services, and where else can they sell their product and services? EAST ASIA!” Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN, at the 3rd Initiative for ASEAN Integration Development Cooperation Forum, October 19thBy George Lauriat, AJOTThe relations between the United States and ASEAN are in the midst of significant change. There is a growing sense in both the ASEAN nations and in the US that economic cooperation is a win-win for all parties. President Obama said last year that he wants to be the first “Pacific President.” (In 2009, President Obama was the first President to meet all ten ASEAN leaders). Such optimism is tempered by the economic realities and the many unanswered questions that must be resolved before the shape of this new relationship can be determined. Nevertheless ASEAN aims to build itself into a single economy by 2015 – an economy that will include 600 million consumers, a GDP of US$1.5 trillion and a rank of 9th in the world. According to the US-ASEAN Business Council the average Southeast Asian consumer purchases twice as many American goods as the average Chinese consumer, and nearly nine times as many as the average Indian consumer. Collectively, the ASEAN nations buy US imports at a rate similar to China. It’s these types of numbers that have US exporters optimistic about a unified ASEAN market. ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) was founded in 1967 in the crucible of Cold War politics. Over the last two decades ASEAN has added to the original five: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and also Brunei, Burma [Myanmar], Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Several years ago a new charter was implemented to layout the framework of economic integration by providing minimum standards for good governance. The charter included a detailed strategic plan that forces ASEAN members into achieving certain economic reforms within an established timeline. However, there is great economic diversity and division in the membership, particularly among the newest member nations, that makes economic integration a challenge to accomplish in the fourteen year period remaining. In October, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN, at the 3rd Initiative for ASEAN Integration Development Cooperation Forum, addressed the problem of economic diversity, saying, “Although recovery in the region has been swift, the immediate challenge now is to sustain the growth and promote sustainable development. To sustain our recovery, each Member States must work steadfastly towards establishing the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) to create a highly competitive single market that promotes equitable economic development and facilitates integration with the global economy. This will entail the integration of market diversity and the transitional economies of the CLMV [Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam] countries.” The differences between the CLMV and other ASEAN countries are clear in the economic disparity: CLMV’s population and land area are about 28% of ASEAN. However, their economy size is only less than 9% that of ASEAN. The per capita GDP in CLMV is approximately US$813, which is a quarter that of ASEAN-6, which amounts to US$3,273. Of the CLMVs, only Vietnam has posted reasonable economic development with the GDP hitting US$1,000. Another dynamic