US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK5748

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) 
---------------------- 
 
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 
----- 
 
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" 
-------------------- 
 
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 
------- 
 
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