ABSTRACT
A myriad of regional cooperation initiatives and frameworks have been established in East Asia after the Cold War ended. Some were established under the umbrella of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and others, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, operate outside the ASEAN framework. The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a prime example: its members hail from four different continents. Keeping in mind that the EAS is a product of the East Asia Vision Group (EAVG), a study group established by the ASEAN+3, it appears puzzling that the membership of an East Asian regional forum established by a group of East Asian nations would not be limited to East Asia. While the first EAVG report still called for ASEAN+3 to evolve into the EAS, a second EAVG report published in 2012 acknowledged the complementary nature of both forums.
