Does ASEAN still play a significant role in Asia amid growing influence of North-East Asian states?

The ASEAN countries, as well as the countries of Northeast Asia, understand this situation and therefore they have been actively interacting in various directions for many years[5].Based on this, it should be noted that China is an important trading partner for the ASEAN countries. In November 2002, in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, ASEAN and China signed a Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation, which was the result of active political interaction between China and the Association. The framework agreement was the first step towards the creation of a China-ASEAN free trade area: in 2010 between China and the six most industrialized ASEAN member countries. By 2015, it will have to extend to other ASEAN members - Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. At the same time, China has already signed free trade zone agreements with Hong Kong and Macau (close economic partnership agreements), as well as with Pakistan, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore and Peru. China is also currently negotiating with the Gulf Cooperation Council, Australia, Iceland, Norway and the South African Customs Union. Japan has become actively involved in the conclusion of agreements on free trade zones relatively recently. This is largely due to the fact that historically the Japanese state took measures to protect the agricultural sector of the economy, and it was the agricultural issue that became the most acute during the negotiations on joining the WTO. In 2003, Singapore became Japan's first partner under the Economic Cooperation Agreement. Then similar agreements were signed with Mexico (2004), Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Malaysia (2006), as well as Chile (entered into force in 2007) and Brunei (2008) and subsequently with Vietnam ( 2009). In January 2011, the 12th round of negotiations between Japan and Australia took place, and in February 2011, the 2nd round of negotiations with Switzerland took place, during which provisions were developed that would form the basis of future bilateral agreements on economic cooperation. In addition to the above, Japan takes an active part in the activities of the so-called ASEAN + 3 group, in which, in addition to itself, China and the Republic of Korea also participate. The ASEAN+3 Center, which coordinates the activities of the group, is located in Singapore. ASEAN+3 summits are held immediately after each summit of the Association. They consider not only current topical issues, but also the development of trade relations, the creation of the necessary conditions for financial cooperation, as well as various political aspects and security issues. In November 2004, the leaders of ASEAN+3 proclaimed as a long-term goal the creation of the East Asian Community, the main activities of which were: - the creation of the East Asian Free Trade Area and the liberalization of trade between member countries in accordance with the Bogor goals of APEC; – extension of the framework agreements on the ASEAN investment zone to all countries of East Asia; – stimulating interaction and cooperation in the field of technology between developed countries with subsequent assistance to the development of less developed countries in the region; – creation of a regional economic structure oriented towards the future. The continued expansion and deepening of economic integration between countries was reflected in the fact that in 2005 another structure was created - the East Asia Summit (EAS) forum, which included 10 ASEAN member countries plus China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. To date, the United States and Russia have joined the EAC. During the 6th EAC summit, which took place on November 19, 2011 in Indonesia, on about. Bali, after the end of the 19th ASEAN Summit, the Declaration on Principles of Mutually Beneficial Relations was adopted, which deals with maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the region. The main attention at the summit was paid to the issues of stimulating and strengthening cooperation in five main areas: finance, energy, education, health and disaster prevention[3][4][5][6].LIST OF USED LITERATURE[1] “About ASEAN”, URL: - https://asean.org/about-us[2] Calder К. & Min Ye, The Making of Northeast Asia (Stanford, California: Sanford University Press, 2010), p. 362.[3] Золотухин И. Н. АСЕАН как уникальная модель регионализма. Известия Восточного института, (1 (45)), 2020, 121-127.[4] Колдунова, Е. В., АСЕАН: проблемы регионализма и перспективы интеграционных процессов. Юго-Восточная Азия: актуальные проблемы развития, (11), 2008, 28-37.[5] Меньшикова, С. М., Роль АСЕАН в становлении региональной архитектуры в АТР. Вестник МГИМО Университета, (4), 2012, 101-108.[6] Орлов, В. Г. АСЕАН и международные отношения в Юго-Восточной Азии: 60-80 годы XX века, Автореферат к диссертации, Москва, 2009, с. 28.