Ready or Not Here We Come

The Asean Economic Community (AEC) will officially commence at 00:01 on January 1, 2016 after the heads of Asean member states officially signed the 2015 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of the Asean Community.

Asean Chair and current Malaysia Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak, said, “It is recognising that something special binds us, and making our citizens feel that Asean courses through their veins. That is what will make our community a reality.”

While much focus has been on the establishment of the Asean Economic Community, it is only one of the three core pillars on which the Asean Community is being formed.

The Asean Community’s three core pillars:

  • The Asean Political Security Community (APSC)
  • The Asean Economic Community (AEC)
  • The Asean Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC)

 

In addition to signing the 2015 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of the Asean Community the Asean heads of State also adopted a declaration on the bloc’s growth to 2025, mapping out a plan for further regional integration and community engagement.

 

Published by Editorial Team

The Asia Rising Editorial Team is made up of a multinational team of writers, content experts and journalists from around the world operating out of our Bureaus in New York, Bangkok, Toronto and while on assignment across Asia.