ASEAN Solidarity Exercise was first exclusive to SE Asian bloc but was just as notable for its selective kowtowing to China
The ASEAN Solidarity Exercise in Natuna 2023 (ASEX-01N), hosted by Indonesia in September 2023, was the first joint military exercise exclusive to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The exercise was called a major accomplishment as ASEAN member states considered to be “pro-Beijing” such as Cambodia attended.
This is not the first intra-ASEAN military drill held against a backdrop of tensions in the South China Sea. The ASEAN Multinational Naval Exercise (AMNEX) took place in Thailand in 2017, shortly after the South China Sea arbitration ruling. The second AMNEX was held in the Philippines in May 2023 amid renewed tensions between the Philippines and China.
AMNEX 2023 saw seven of 10 ASEAN member states contribute naval vessels — the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar sent observers. Despite the exercise being held facing the South China Sea, no sensitivities over the disputes emerged that could hamstring the event.
Unlike AMNEX, which involves only ASEAN navies, ASEX-01N engaged armies, air forces and navies. Announcing plans for ASEX-01N in June 2023, commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces Admiral Yudo Margono said he hoped the exercise, planned to take place in the North Natuna Sea, would strengthen ASEAN’s centrality and preserve regional stability.
Source : Asia Times