JAKARTA/SINGAPORE -- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has ended a string of summits and meetings -- dialogues that brought some tangible results but little progress on the crisis in Myanmar as the group tries to maintain its relevance in the shadow of the U.S.-China rivalry.
Brunei Darussalam's official news release on Thursday emphasized agreements struck over three days, including the ASEAN Shield, "which aims to create a more coordinated and responsive" bloc against emergencies and disasters. Around 100 documents were adopted or noted by the ASEAN leaders, according to Sharon Seah, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, a Singaporean think tank.
