Trans-Boundary Commercial Cooperation in Southeast Asia: Contribution from the ASEAN Business Club

Southeast Asia: Actual Problems of Development. 2024. No. 3(64). P. 38–51.

Evgeny A. Kanaev, Fedorenko D., Aisylu R. Garaeva, Olga L. Solodkova

The paper undertakes a critical assessment of the role that ASEAN Business Club (ABC) plays in making Southeast Asia a unified economic and business area. On illustrating salient features of ASEAN integration through the prism of its digital and non-digital components, which sets the general analytical backdrop, the paper proceeds to scrutinizing the evolution of, as well as assessing major results obtained by, ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) as the ABC predecessor. Then the article turns to exploring major lines of the ABC activity and its organizational specifics, as well as discusses its major achievements and limitations. Generalizing from these examples, the authors argue that negative integration on which ASEAN multilateral projects are premised hampers the activity of ASEAN BAC and eventually the ABC. Although the paper is premised on previous works on ASEAN multilateral projects and, more broadly, ASEAN integration, it has obvious academic novelty, as it contributes to more nuanced understanding of real rather than declaratory potential of ASEAN multilateral dialogue venues on business issues. Specifically, it provides a detailed account of the role of ASEAN business institutions in stimulating trans-boundary commercial ties across Southeast Asia. More specifically, the influence of ASEAN Business Club on ASEAN integration has not been explored to date. As the paper is prepared ahead of the target date of ASEAN Community 2025, it has obvious relevance and practical significance.

Keywords: интеграция, перспективы, ASEAN, АСЕАН, prospects, integration, ASEAN Business Advisory Council, Деловой Консультативный Совет АСЕАН, digital and non-digital aspects, ASEAN Business Club, цифровые и нецифровые аспекты, Деловой клуб АСЕАН