東協自1967 年創立以來，便強調東南亞國家之間的合作與團結，並以「東協模式」為各成員國互動的基礎，強調對彼此主權的尊重、不干涉內政、以及共識決等。近年來為促進成員國間更緊密的合作，強調「東協中心性」。此意指東南亞各國透過區域制度的建立，以促進內部的團結與合作，進而在對外關係上產生以東協為主的統一政策。但由於東協的運作缺乏強制力，且東南亞國家自身權力不足，因此在大國的影響之下，「東協中心性」正遭受挑戰。此從南海爭端中，成員國之間與中、美兩國各自的關係，使東協無力產生有效的應對方式便可了解。然而，在《區域全面經濟夥伴協定》（RCEP）的談判中，「東協中心性」卻得到大國的認可，此從各參與國承認RCEP 由東協主導便可看出。由此可見，隨著議題領域的不同，「東協中心性」是否在大國政治中被著重看待，也有所不同。本文希望藉由討論東協在南海爭端以及RCEP 談判的角色，了解「東協中心性」在不同議題領域中，如何為大國所看待，以及此種「中心性」是由東協所主導，還是被大國政治界定。

 

Since its establishment in 1967, ASEAN has emphasized cooperation and solidarity among Southeast Asian countries. The “ASEAN Way” serves as the foundation for interactions among member states, emphasizing respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, and consensus-based decisionmaking. In recent years, ASEAN has highlighted the "ASEAN Centrality" concept to promote closer cooperation among member states. This refers to the effort of Southeast Asian countries to foster internal unity and cooperation through regional institutions, leading to a unified ASEAN-driven policy in external relations. However, due to the lack of enforcement mechanisms within ASEAN and the limited power of Southeast Asian countries, ASEAN Centrality faces challenges under the influence of major powers. This can be seen in the South China Sea disputes, where the relationships between member states and China and the United States have hindered ASEAN’s ability to formulate effective responses. Nonetheless, in the negotiations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), ASEAN Centrality has gained recognition from major powers, which is evident from the participating countries’ acknowledgment of ASEAN’s leadership in RCEP. Therefore, it is clear that the emphasis on ASEAN Centrality varies depending on the issue at hand within the context of great power politics. This paper aims to explore ASEAN’s role in the South China Sea disputes and RCEP negotiations to understand how ASEAN Centrality is perceived by major powers in different issue areas and whether this centrality is driven by ASEAN itself or defined by major power politics.