These slides were presented by Group 1 of the Pacific Forum's Young Leaders during the US-ASEAN Partnership Forum on 11-13 February 2019

1. NEXT-GENERATION VIEWS –
OVER THE HORIZON ISSUES FOR
THE US-ASEAN RELATIONS
PACIFIC FORUM GROUP 1

2. US AND ASEAN ARE KEY PARTNERS
Source: ASEAN Matters for America Matters for ASEAN, 2017
US and ASEAN should share
Mutual Values

3. WHAT ARE THE THREE BIGGEST
CHALLENGES TO THE US-ASEAN RELATIONS?

4. WHAT ARE INNOVATIVE WAYS TO ADDRESS
CHALLENGES TO US-ASEAN RELATIONS AND TO
MOVE THE RELATIONSHIP FORWARD?

5. MAKING INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS SUSTAINABLE AND
ACCOUNTABLE IN THE REGION
ASEAN Infrastructure Institute
Role of the US: While the US (and other
nations) can play a key role in assisting the
AII, the independence of AII is paramount
to its success
1. Centre of Excellence
Provide localised expertise in the following areas: Feasibility studies, Financial viability assessment
(VfM) PPP modalities, regulatory framework for construction and operation
3. Assisting in financing activities
Coordinate the activities of IPAs and other agencies in reaching out to
potential investors and creditors (MNDs – including AIIB) – collective
investment packages
Assist in the development of innovative capital market instruments (P2P) that
leverage better developed financial markets within the region
2. ASEAN Infrastructure Index – ASEAN standard
Issue an annual index of ASEAN infrastructure projects and assign scores based on
objective criteria: governance, financial viability, corruption, environmental and social
impact. Projects that meet the grade are said to achieve the “ASEAN standard”
4. Cross-border issues
Provide expertise in cross-border impact planning, unlock cross-border synergies, and
provide a mechanism to minimise negative impacts and resolve disputes.
5. Capacity Building
Build the capacity of government entities, legal bodies, and civil society organisations working
on accountability and business and human rights in the region.
Expertise
sharing
Self criticism
Open and
collective
financing
Cross-border
collaboration
Building
capacity

6. Enhancing the Youth’s Participation between US and ASEAN
The young demographic population in ASEAN and US can unite and develop leadership through:
• more study-abroad opportunities for US students in Southeast Asia and Southeast Asian students in the US
• implementation of Discovery Year, in which students are exposed to different experiences in an ASEAN - US University Network,
and to include curriculum on US-ASEAN relations in US and ASEAN universities
• language exchange via digital platforms to promote people-to-people connectivity
• an ASEAN-US Entrepreneurial Rotation Programme, in which Southeast Asian and American youth undergo varied entrepreneurial
attachments in different industries in the United States and Southeast Asia
• an initiative that encourages the exchange of knowledge and experiences between civil-society organizations and NGOs in the
United States and Southeast Asia, with tracked policy and development implications
• a US-ASEAN School Exchange Program, connecting youth across rural areas
• socio-Cultural programs such as US-ASEAN Movie festival, sport tournaments, and Mr and Miss ASEAN in secondary schools
These efforts would go a long way toward planting "seeds of awareness" and promoting natural cross-cultural ambassadors and
sustainable people-to-people relationships.

7. Reorientation and Realignment of Expectations
• Encourage and appreciation of the working norms of both US and ASEAN institutions
• Build a strategic partnership that centers on a friendship built on shared values
• Collectively align US & ASEAN priorities by encouraging more dialogue and consistent discussions
• “Make haste, slowly”
• Continuity and Expansion
• Fulbright and YSEALI
• Adaptability to move towards more contemporary and dynamic mind-sets
• Increase efforts for good governance and transparency within ASEAN, and in relations with the United States
• Encourage policy clarity
• Adopt a pragmatic understanding of the needs and expectations of both ASEAN and the United States
• Employ more technical assistance and US-based knowledge to attract foreign direct investment into the
region

8. OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN CHALLENGES
• There are various types of challenges: US-origin concerns, and ASEAN-centric challenges
• These challenges can be met through economic, cultural, and organizational solutions
• What’s next for Indo Pacific? US is faced with a strategy implementation challenge
• Present and Future—time itself a challenge
• Moving forward, the focus should be ASEAN-driven and/or Track II centered
• We are currently faced with an extraordinary transitional period; politically, demographically,
socially
• Yet, as we move aheda, ASEAN’s importance will only increase globally and to the US
• The Next 50 Years: Will there be a new ASEAN Way?