Co-chairing Asia-Pacific defence diplomacy: the case ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus

ABSTRACT

This article assesses co-chairs’ roles in affecting the outcomes of Asia-Pacific defence diplomacy, which have been under-examined. Attempting to mend this intellectual gap, our study examines: ‘What shapes specific agreement details?’ We contend that co-chairs’ effectiveness is not borne out of resource possession but in fact derived from their ability to manage the resources. In order to be effective, co-chairpersons must convert the available resources at hands into bargaining leverage. To validate our argument, empirical analysis of military medicine (MM) collaboration under the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) framework was conducted. We demonstrate how the Thai and Russian co-chairs altered the bargaining dynamics to shape the outcomes regarding the ASEAN Center of Military Medicine (ACMM). Insights from our analysis not only extends the existing academic literature on Asia-Pacific defence diplomacy and international negotiation, but also provides practitioners with lessons useful for conducting defence diplomacy and enhancing security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and beyond.

KEYWORDS:

• ADMM-Plus
• military medicine
• defence diplomacy
• ASEAN
• negotiation
• chair

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr. Kaewkamol Pitakdumrongkit is a Deputy Head and Assistant Professor at the Centre for Multilateralism Studies, at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Her works focus on international economic negotiation, Southeast Asian and East Asian economic governance, regional-global economic governance dynamics, ASEAN Economic Community, and cooperation between ASEAN and dialogue partners.

Lieutenant Colonel Nantasit Klaisringoen is a military officer at the Royal Thai Army Headquarter in Bangkok, Thailand. He used to serve as a Thai Liaison Officer at the Royal Thai Embassy, Republic of Korea.