Viet Nam ASEAN Chairmanship 2020

Viet Nam will assume ASEAN Chairmanship next year in 2020. During a press
conference, Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam unveiled the official theme and priorities of
the chairmanship. The theme of Viet Nam’s Chairmanship is “Cohesive and Responsive”, in
which Cohesive reflects the needs to enhance ASEAN unity and solidarity, economic
integration, ASEAN awareness and identity, and work toward a “people-centered”
community. Meanwhile, Responsive emphasizes the importance of ASEAN pro-activeness,
creativity and capacity in response to opportunities and challenges by rapid changes in
regional and global landscape.
To execute the theme of its Chairmanship, Viet Nam has set five priorities during its
tenure, which are:
1. Strengthening ASEAN unity and solidarity, reinforcing ASEAN centrality and
promoting its active contribution to regional peace and stability amid strategic
complexities;
2. Intensifying ASEAN’s economic integration and connectivity; better equip ASEAN
economies and its people to adapt to the dynamic changes from the 4th industrial
revolution and the digital economy;
3. Promoting ASEAN identity and awareness about the ASEAN Community among the
people;
4. Enhancing ASEAN’s global partnership for peace, stability and sustainable
development;
5. Increasing ASEAN’s institutional capacity and effectiveness.
Viet Nam’s chairmanship in 2020 will mark two key points. First, the year 2020 is the
important year in the realization of ASEAN Vision 2025, in which Viet Nam can lay the
foundation for ASEAN’s focus and priorities for the next five year. This half way mark to the
completion of ASEAN Vision 2025 will be very influential to determine how the other half
way will be executed for five years ahead. Second, the year 2020 marks 25 years of Viet
Nam’s membership in ASEAN. The milestone is to be celebrated by what Viet Nam will
create out of its chairmanship.
ASEAN has become Viet Nam’s regional tool to strive economically throughout the
years. Within its membership, Viet Nam has experienced major economic growth, currently
being the highest among ASEAN member states. Furthermore, with ASEAN’s non-
interference principle, Viet Nam still can exercise its political system without worrying about
criticism or foreign intervention from other ASEAN member states. The capacity of Viet
Nam will shape its chairmanship to be more economic-looking and to strive for more
consensual regional decision. Although Viet Nam’s main agenda might be in economic area,
yet it is believed that Viet Nam will also focus on pursuing political interests.
The point above is manifested in the first priority that Viet Nam has set. To reinforce
ASEAN Centrality and regional peace and stability, one issue that stands out is the dispute on
South China Sea territory. Managing great powers in the territory is a big challenge for a
developing country like Viet Nam. In addition, as one of the disputing states over the region,
Viet Nam’s chairmanship might lead ASEAN to convey the second reading of the Code of
Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. This chairmanship position will give Viet Nam the
opportunity to set an agenda, hence, it will be wasteful if Viet Nam will not initiate further
negotiations and discussion on COC. Furthermore, Viet Nam’s goal to make a more
consensual regional decision shows Viet Nam’s commitment to get ASEAN member states
on the same side on the matter of South China Sea. How Viet Nam’s chairmanship will play
out will result in whether or not it can cement a legacy on de-escalating the dispute.
In regard to the same priority, ASEAN Centrality will become an important issue under
Viet Nam’s tenure next year. Viet Nam can lead ASEAN to be the leader of some ongoing
principles involving ASEAN itself. The existence of too many principles, that are prone to be
contradictory needs one thing to prevent that from happening. APEC, CPTPP, RCEP, AOIP,
and other principles are needed to be synergized in order to ensure these principles working
complementary to each other, instead of contrastingly. Viet Nam also has to upgrade ASEAN
capacity to have an important bargaining position in shaping and executing the principles.
One of the main agenda for next year in ASEAN Centrality is the first ASEAN-Indo
Infrastructure and Connectivity Forum that will be held in Indonesia. As the mastermind of
ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, Viet Nam has to oversee this forum to be focus on
ASEAN as the central actor on any cooperation in the region. Viet Nam can also lead
ASEAN in using this forum to boost investment and project in developing Southeast Asia
region. The success of this forum will mark the success of Viet Nam’s chairmanship in
implementation the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
Viet Nam’s second priority that involves economic integration and connectivity is a
reflection of how ASEAN matters to its members’ economy. Viet Nam is one real example of
how one country’s economy could strive progressively under a regional regime. And also,
Viet Nam made the right decision when they announced that they will be focusing on the 4 th
industrial revolution and digital economy. In this economic condition, ASEAN’s digital
economy is predicted to be worth US$ 30 billion by the year 2025. En route to that
prediction, currently ASEAN is undergoing shifting industry to be more digital. Viet Nam is
one of the real examples when in 2018, Viet Nam ranked second in financial technology in
Southeast Asia and ranked third on the most active start-up environment in ASEAN.
Steady but surely, Viet Nam has shown its commitment in digital economy. As stated
during the US-ASEAN Business Council briefing, the US welcomed Viet Nam’s priorities on
digital economy. Viet Nam is expected to boost digital investment in the region and to set up
beneficial cooperation with external partners in the realm of digital economy and its
investment. Another thing that Viet Nam can innovate is to create framework that ensures
clarity for these tech company investors on handling users’ data, emphasizing on the
transparency and privacy protection. Viet Nam can reflect on European Union’s framework
on Digital Privacy as a regional institution’s guideline to prevent tech company from
misusing user’s data.
 But Viet Nam’s effort in advancing Southeast Asia’s digital economy should not only
focus on the regulation or framework itself, but also on the human resources. As an emerging
industry, digital economies in Southeast Asia needs capable human resources to meet the
market demands. The second priority also includes advancement of human resources in
ASEAN to keep up with the industry dynamics. Viet Nam can set an agenda to pioneer
training programs or a fellowship for ASEAN youths in digital economy skills. With the right
framework and policies to be executed, Viet Nam can realize its second priority during its
ASEAN chairmanship.
Another big task related to Viet Nam’s second priority is RCEP. Viet Nam is expected to
wrap up the already long process of RCEP deal negotiation by next year. Thailand’s failure to
reach RCEP’s deal can likely be Viet Nam’s legacy as the ASEAN chair. Yet, one challenge
arises as India seems reluctant to commit to RCEP. India’s trade deficits with 11 out of 15
other RCEP countries became the major concern behind India’s decision on RCEP. Viet
Nam’s role as the chair will also involve the skill of its diplomats to negotiate and prevent
India from opting out of the deal. Furthermore, it is Viet Nam’s task to elaborate more on
India’s Act East Policy that will be meaningless if India is not participating on the RCEP. An
alternative would be if the RCEP deal seems impossible to be reached, a hard decision for
Viet Nam is to continue the deal without the participation of India as one of the parties.
ASEAN should also present RCEP as a proof that economic multilateralism is still relevant in
the global economies.
This chairmanship is also an opportunity for Viet Nam to show their regional leadership
capacity. Considering right now that Viet Nam is seeing major growth economy and high
human resources productivity, it is certain that Viet Nam will take the leadership role in
ASEAN. The current inward-looking political climate of ASEAN’s “de jure” leaders, like
Indonesia and Malaysia, allows Viet Nam to seize such opportunity. Moreover, Viet Nam can
also show its leadership among Mekong countries or CLMV groups. In this issue, the
Mekong River Commission (MRC) may see a revival era under Viet Nam’s ASEAN
Centrality focus. Especially when it comes to suppressing China’s hegemony in the Mekong
countries considering the latest China’s attempt to control Mekong water by building dam in
Laos that Viet Nam condemned as it is deemed as international water resources by the
Vietnamese government. Therefore, Viet Nam can try to implement the principle of territorial
integrity over common Mekong’s water use.
For Viet Nam’s third priority, the challenge is to guide ten member states of ASEAN to
embrace and disseminate ASEAN values to their local community. Creating ASEAN
Community for the next five years is not an easy task for any country seated in the
chairmanship. But if Viet Nam could create a grassroots-based ASEAN Identity
dissemination, it would be beneficial for ASEAN social integration. In “An Update of
ASEAN Awareness and Attitudes – A Ten Nation Survey”, the strongest awareness toward
ASEAN came from Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos citizens. Already leading this survey
report, Viet Nam can take its domestic good-case practice and try to encourage fellow
ASEAN member states to start doing the same. Also, a very good start in building this sense
of belonging in ASEAN is from the youth. Younger generation can be educated on ASEAN-
based knowledge through their education institution. It is Viet Nam’s responsibility as the
chair of ASEAN to ensure how we, as a community, can embrace our regional identity to
move forward hand-in-hand.
For the fourth priority, ASEAN is already proactive in maintaining global peace and
stability. Reflecting from the peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula, some of ASEAN
countries already offered mediation role. Viet Nam can continue to lead ASEAN as a neutral
side, one can rely on, to help achieving our ultimate goal, which is a peaceful Korean
Peninsula. Another agenda is like mentioned above the stability on the South China Sea and
the rise of extremist groups in Southeast Asia region. It is also possible for ASEAN next year
under Viet Nam’s chairmanship seeing more prospective partnership for the institution, not
only states, but also other regional organisations. In addition of ASEAN chairmanship, Viet
Nam’s fourth priority also coincides with Viet Nam’s role as a non-permanent member of
UNSC which also starts next year. Hopefully, with these two crucial roles held by Viet Nam
in 2020, Viet Nam can lead ASEAN to be a more active actor in keeping peace and stability
in the region.
For the fifth priority, Viet Nam highlighted the importance of internal capacity-building
from ASEAN as an institution. Bureaucratic effectiveness and efficiency are the goal of this
priority of Viet Nam. Viet Nam is expected to guide ASEAN in mainstreaming its
bureaucratic process internally. In addition, Viet Nam should focus and invest more on the
human resources of ASEAN that are mainly working at ASEAN Secretariat. Several training
and capacity-building programs are projected to be executed under Viet Nam’s tenure to
enhance ASEAN’s institutional capacity.