REGIONAL ARCHITECTURE - THAI PERSPECTIVES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 005748

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/RSP, EAP/MLS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2015
TAGS: PREL ECIN TH
SUBJECT: REGIONAL ARCHITECTURE - THAI PERSPECTIVES

REF: A. STATE 156638

B. BANGKOK 5017

Classified By: Political Counselor Susan M. Sutton. Reason 1.4(b,d)


11. (C) SUMMARY: MFA officials have provided us background
on Thai government attitudes regarding Asia/Pacific regional
institutions and architecture. Overall, the RTG views the
principal regional forums (ASEAN, ASEAN Plus Three, ASEAN
Regional Forum (ARF) and now the East Asia Summit (EAS)) as
parts of an evolving security structure that is creating
"overlapping communities" in Asia that the Thai hope will
contain the "competitive forces" between the regions major
powers, build trust and increase economic prosperity in the
region. The Thais see the evolving structure -- leading
eventually to an "East Asia Community" -- as an opportunity
to demonstrate regional leadership and clearly want the U.S.
to remain engaged as closely as possible in regional
institutions. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Using reftel talking points and questions, poloff
discussed Thai attitudes regarding existing and emerging
Asia/Pacific regional institutions and architecture with
Suriya Chindawongse, Linna Tangkatath and Prangtip
Kongridhisuksakorn from the ASEAN Affairs Division of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

EAST ASIA SUMMIT (EAS)
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3. (C) According to the MFA officers, observer status is
not being discussed for the EAS. There has not been a
decision made on Russia's desire to participate in this and
future meetings as ASEAN has not been able to reach consensus
on the issue. The RTG supports Moscow's desire to join,
however. Consensus on the frequency of the EAS has not been
reached, but the RTG supports having the meeting every two
years (vice three). MFA officials insisted that ASEAN
remains the "driving force" in the EAS process and will
endeavor to remain in control.


4. (C) The Thais believe the EAS will overlap to some
degree with the ARF and APEC, but they view the EAS as more
focused on "strategic issues," and a forum for the regions
leaders to get together to "brainstorm." MFA officers
claimed they are not concerned that the EAS will distract
from APEC, ARF or other existing regional forums but rather
will "reinforce" these institutions. The EAS will follow the
context of ASEAN plus three, thereby excluding Taiwan.

ASEAN
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5. (C) MFA officials described ASEAN's strategic relations
with China, Japan, and South Korea as developing "very well."
They noted that the more closely ASEAN works with China the
more interested the Japanese become in engagement with ASEAN
(and vise versa) -- leading to a "snowballing" of substantive
political engagement between ASEAN and the regional powers.
They said they are considering deepening relations with India
and are "working on" relations with Russia. They indicated
that relations with the EU remain a more "complicated" issue
but did not elaborate. They assured poloff that the
relationship with the U.S. is among ASEAN's top priorities,
pointing to the success of the U.S./ASEAN dialogue and the
enhanced partnership with the U.S. through the ASEAN
Cooperation Plan.


6. (C) The Thais claim they are eager to expand regional
economic integration to include North Asia and that Foreign
Minister Kantathi has called for a 2012 target date. ASEAN
plans to move forward with negotiations with China and Japan
on FTAs that will serve as the basis for the economic
community, and hope to do so at a more rapid pace. MFA
officials claimed that Singapore also supported Thai efforts
to accelerate FTAs and regional economic integration.


7. (C) MFA officers indicated that the central ASEAN
principle of "non-interference" was open to limited
re-interpretation due to the realities of transnational
issues impacting the region and said democracy promotion
remained one of ASEAN's goals.


8. (C) RTG officials said they are interested in expanding
outreach to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO),
viewing the SCO as another regional "confidence building
forum." They are particularly interested in possible
"lessons learned" from SCO on counterterrorism issues.
"EAST ASIA COMMUNITY"
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9. (C) The Thais view ASEAN Plus Three as the main forum
for building an "East Asia Community." Building such a
grouping will be a gradual process, undertaken through
sectoral cooperation, that will be built on and linked to
ASEAN Plus Three and the EAS. The goal of the Community is
to promote greater trust and economic progress for the region
and stability in the security environment. The Thais hope
the evolving security structures will create "overlapping
communities" in Asia that will contain the "competitive
forces" between the regions major powers (read China and
Japan). The Thais described their vision of having ASEAN,
the EAS and the future East Asian Community serve as the
three main processes in regional integration.
COMMENT
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10. (C) The Thais obviously see the evolving architecture
in Asia as an opportunity to demonstrate regional leadership.
The MFA officials, however, could not clearly articulate
Thailand's role in a East Asia Community or what eventual
structure such a community would have. The Thais also seem
eager to expand their ambitious political goals into the
economic sphere but it is not clear how they will accomplish
them. Our normal trade policy interlocutors have not taken
such an optimistic position on regional economic integration
and seem intent of focusing on bilateral approaches. The
Thais clearly want the U.S. to remain engaged as closely as
possible in regional institutions and emphasized that these
groupings would not be exclusive, emphasizing that "our fate
is tied with the rest of the world." END COMMENT
ARVIZU