Resisting the Polar Pull: Can ASEAN Forge a Non-Aligned Future?

Abstract

In the evolving geopolitical architecture of the Indo-Pacific, ASEAN finds itself increasingly at the crossroads of competing strategic ambitions. While great powers—from the United States and China to India, Japan, and the European Union—continue to intensify their presence in the region, ASEAN seeks to uphold its foundational principle of strategic non-alignment. This article explores whether ASEAN can genuinely resist the polarizing pull of major power blocs and instead forge an autonomous, inclusive, and non-aligned future amid a rising multipolar order. Drawing from recent developments—including the South China Sea flashpoints, Myanmar's internal crisis, and the digital and climate agendas—the article analyses the organization’s strengths, such as its convening power and expanding digital-economic frameworks, as well as its vulnerabilities like internal divides, normative inconsistencies, and asymmetric dependencies on external actors. Special attention is given to emerging strategies such as strategic hedging, multilateral diplomacy, and the crafting of ASEAN’s identity through human, climate, and digital security priorities. By interrogating the balance between economic dependency and strategic autonomy, this study argues that ASEAN's future relevance lies not in passive neutrality but in active, value-based multilateralism. The article concludes that ASEAN can remain central to Indo-Pacific affairs only if it deepens internal cohesion, strengthens institutional mechanisms, and asserts a cooperative vision that transcends bipolar logics. ASEAN’s potential to redefine regional diplomacy rests not just on avoiding alignment, but on offering an alternative framework for peace, security, and sustainable development in the Asian century.