While the citizens of ASEAN nations had believed that the association would drag its feet in implementing the Free Trade Area, in their 1998 summit ASEAN heads of state signed a "Statement on Bold Measures," announcing a target of bringing tariffs between them to under 5 % by 2002.
而當各國人士都認為東協的自由貿易區計畫勢必因 97 金融風暴延宕之際，東協卻在隔年的高峰會簽署了《無畏法案》，宣布要加速在 2002 年達成降關稅至 5 % 以下的目標。