PoliticsdiplomacyBilateral Relations
Thailand's FM Urges EU to Balance Power in ASEAN Region.
In a significant diplomatic intervention from Brussels, Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow articulated a vision for European engagement that transcends mere trade, framing the European Union’s presence in Southeast Asia as an essential counterweight in the escalating great-power competition between the United States and China. Speaking with Euronews on the sidelines of an Indo-Pacific forum, the seasoned diplomat, with a career that includes a previous tenure as ambassador to the UN, provided a nuanced analysis reminiscent of a classical balance-of-power strategy.He did not frame the EU as a direct competitor to either Washington or Beijing, but rather as a sophisticated third force, a stabilizing entity whose normative power, economic heft, and commitment to a rules-based international order can prevent the ASEAN region from devolving into a binary sphere of influence. This is not a new Cold War, but a complex, multi-polar reality where middle powers like Thailand are actively maneuvering to preserve their strategic autonomy.Historically, Southeast Asia has been a theatre for such geopolitical contests, from the colonial rivalries of the 19th century to the proxy conflicts of the 20th, and Sihasak’s comments reflect a deep-seated regional desire to avoid being caught in a repeat of that painful history. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations itself was founded on principles of neutrality and consensus, but the relentless pressure from China’s Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure investments and its assertive claims in the South China Sea, juxtaposed with the US’s bolstered alliances through groups like AUKUS, has stretched this consensus to its breaking point.Sihasak’s call is therefore a calculated invitation for Brussels to step into this breach, to leverage its substantial market power and diplomatic credibility to offer ASEAN nations a viable alternative path—one not predicated on choosing sides but on reinforcing a regional architecture that can withstand external pressure. The consequences of a failure to achieve this balance are profound, potentially leading to the fragmentation of ASEAN, the further militarization of critical sea lanes, and the erosion of the very international laws that have underpinned decades of unprecedented economic growth in the region. For the EU, this represents both a formidable challenge and a historic opportunity to define its geopolitical identity on the world stage, moving beyond its traditional trans-Atlantic partnership to become an independent anchor of stability in the 21st century’s defining strategic arena.
#ASEAN
#EU
#Thailand
#foreign policy
#balance of power
#China
#US
#Indo-Pacific
#featured
