In geopolitical terms, ASEAN is well-placed to be an acceptable and equal partner to many larger, more powerful economies, such as China, India, Japan, Australia, and South Korea – a part of the world that, for the first time, is leading a global recovery. ASEAN has also contributed to building one of the most dynamic economic-integration platforms in the world, and now acts as a de facto regional hub of wider economic cooperation and integration.
从地缘政治学的角度来看，东盟具备有足够的地理优势，有资格得到诸如中国、印度、日本，澳大利亚和韩国等更强大经济体的认可，并与之平起平坐——而这些经济体如今也史无前例地成为了带领全球经济复苏的领头羊。同时，东盟也为打造世界上最具活力的经济整合平台做出了突出贡献，并在现实中扮演着更广泛经济合作和一体化区域枢纽的角色。