ASEAN role vital for China, Russia

Unlike the United States, China and Russia do not have a "pivot to Asia" policy. Nonetheless, both countries know how to cooperate to meet their common security goals in the region. Apart from holding the much-heralded month-long joint naval exercise recently, the two countries have also held an increasing number of diplomatic consultations on ways to strengthen mutual relations with Jakarta-based Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Gone are the days when China and Russia pursued their respective regional diplomacy in isolation with little or no bilateral exchanges. At ASEAN's annual meeting in June in Brunei's capital of Bandar Seri Begawan, Russia submitted a new collective security framework for consideration of ASEAN member states' foreign ministers.

The Draft Declaration on the Framework Principles of Strengthening Security and Developing Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region was well received and adopted for further studies by ASEAN. Before Russia submitted the framework, China - with the experience of longer engagement with ASEAN - helped sharpen the security ideas to align with the regional thinking.