ASEAN to Gain Competitive Edge as One Community: ST Survey

The Straits Times

21 December 2015

Asean will be more competitive once the Asean Economic Community (AEC) is a reality, going by a new region wide poll.

Businesses will do better, work opportunities will grow and lives will improve, according to the survey, which was conducted by The Straits Times and covered the 10 Asean nations.

Many respondents expect to travel a lot more in the coming years.

If the AEC is regarded as a single market of 625 million, it has the potential to be the world’s fourth-largest economy, after the European Union, the United States and China, some experts say.

The AEC kept a fairly low profile in the planning stages, but expectations are now growing about the benefits of being part of an economic community, as the crucial date of Dec 31 nears – marking the official formation of the community.

… “My sense is that, over the past few years, the constant talk about Asean community building has caused people in the region to think about a common identity or at least how to achieve a better understanding among themselves. Indeed, the mentality of Asean citizens needs to further evolve. The perception also is that the different laws and rules in the Asean region have to be integrated in some way or other to substantiate an Asean framework which can then be the basis of strengthening Asean identity and the Asean Community”, MR ONG KENG YONG, Singapore’s Ambassador-at-Large and executive deputy chairman at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the Nanyang Technological University

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Last updated on 21/12/2015