Research On The Impact Of The Cold War On The Establishment And Development Of ASEAN

At the end of World War II,a series of national liberation movements were set off in Southeast Asian countries.While the British and French colonial powers collapsed,the United States became more and more deeply involved in Indochina’s struggle for independence,its aggression against Vietnam gradually escalated,and its tussle with the Soviet Union in Southeast Asia became clearer and clearer,and a Cold War confrontation pattern was formed in this region.The two-tier pattern of the United States and the Soviet Union has basically shaped the development process of regionalism in Southeast Asian countries and largely determined the foreign policies of the countries in the region.In order to get rid of the control of superpowers and maintain regional stability and independence,Southeast Asian countries have tried to form several regional cooperation organizations,but all of them have ended up in failure.In 1967,five Southeast Asian countries-the Philippines,Indonesia,Thailand,Malaysia,and Singapore-came together ideologically to oppose and contain communism and formed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN).The Cold War accompanied the establishment and development of ASEAN,and the evolutionary process of ASEAN will undoubtedly be influenced by the Cold War.In this paper,we focus on the impact of the Cold War on the establishment and development of ASEAN,the security environment in Southeast Asia before the establishment of ASEAN,the major regionalist organizations that emerged in the Cold War environment,the impact of the Cold War on the establishment and development of ASEAN and its strategic adjustments,the end of the Cold War and the continued development of ASEAN,and finally summarize and analyze the positive and negative impacts of the Cold War on ASEAN in general and the development trend of ASEAN under these impacts.As a zone of ideological encounter between the two camps,the impact and influence of the Cold War on the formation and development of ASEAN cannot be ignored,as it not only has to defend itself against threats from internal and external forces,but also faces the possibility of being contested by major powers and falling victim to diplomacy.Changes in the Cold War international system in different historical periods led to reactions from ASEAN countries in the system,prompting a consequent adjustment in policy behavior.During the Cold War,Southeast Asia became the battleground of the “hot war”,and maintaining national and regional security was the primary goal of ASEAN.The policies of the U.S.and Soviet powers towards Southeast Asia further constrained ASEAN’s security strategy choices,and pushed ASEAN to accelerate regional cooperation and strive for independence.Understanding this impact and change is of great significance for further understanding the contemporary ASEAN development situation and international relations,as well as the behavioral logic of ASEAN’s foreign policy.