NADI Meeting on “Conflicts Affecting the Region, and the ADMM/ADMM-Plus’ Role in Conflict Prevention and Management”
RSIS hosted the Track II Network of ASEAN Defence and Security Institutions (NADI) Meeting on “Conflicts Affecting the Region, and the ADMM/ADMM-Plus’ Role in Conflict Prevention and Management” from 4 to 6 November 2024, in Singapore. Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, Executive Deputy Chairman, RSIS; and Mr Lawrence Anderson, Senior Fellow, RSIS, chaired the Meeting.
Ambassador Ong emphasised the timeliness of this Meeting, given the mounting strategic rivalry between the United States and China. He highlighted that hotspots in the region could blow up into more serious conflict, which would adversely affect ASEAN Member States (AMS). As such, it was imperative that AMS look seriously at how to minimise the risk of conflicts. The ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) could act as a platform for defence chiefs to consider these pressing issues and pre-emptively figure out ways to defuse tensions.
NADI delegates shared their insights on emerging security threats and possible scenarios for conflicts within and beyond the region. They discussed which existing ASEAN mechanisms would be best suited to deal with these challenges. They also sought to develop practical and innovative strategies for conflict prevention and management that the ADMM and ADMM-Plus could undertake. This could ensure that ASEAN collectively navigates the changing geopolitical environment, while maintaining peace and security in the region.
Several delegates highlighted the need for ASEAN to examine how engagement between the ADMM/ADMM-Plus and minilateral arrangements were done in a collaborative way without contradicting ASEAN’s interests. Others indicated that there could be value for ADMM/ADMM-Plus to collaborate and share information with local governments on climate management. ASEAN could also initiate discussions on the legal impact of climate change on the sovereign rights of coastal states.
The importance of the protection and resilience of undersea cables to regional economic stability and national security was also highlighted. Cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns were also highlighted as integral features of modern-day conflict and competition. Delegates pointed out that even if the US-China strategic competition did not develop into a hot war, tensions were likely to continue and impact AMS in the form of cyber and disinformation campaigns.