Uncovering Key ASEAN Needs Vital to US Economic Legitimacy in ASEAN. Recommendations For Robust US-ASEAN Relations

This paper proposes the I-4 Initiative, a set of broad-based recommendations designed to help the US tackle ASEAN's key obstacles to economic growth, and thereby differentiating itself from other competing multilateral economic frameworks, striving to garner ASEAN's involvement. As part of the current situational analysis, this paper also touches on ASEAN's growing economic potential as well as on the viability of the Trans-Pacific Agreement (TPP) and the US-ASEAN Extended Economic Engagement (E3). A posture on how the US can balance both arrangements is also recommended.