1 ASEAN‟s response to the Changes of the US and Chinese foreign policy to the ARF

This paper examines the changes of the US and Chinese foreign policy to the ARF and ASEAN‟s reaction to the changes. The two powers are indispensable factors for the establishment of the ARF and sustainable stability in the Asia Pacific region. The two powers ‟ ways of utilizing the security forum have gradually become similar in the point that they has participated pro-actively in the forum. Yet there are significant differences of use of the ARF between them. One the one hand, the United States had requested more institutionalized and active ARF while started to have an idea on a new security framework in East Asia that might overlap the role of the ARF. On the other hand, China has gradually concentrated on improvement of CBMs that might not disturb its crucial security issue such as Taiwan Strait and then South China Sea. While such big powers ‟ involvement has occurred, ASEAN has adhered to the ASEAN Way and has not failed to manage the ARF