Within the organisation, however, the fear is that its cherished autonomy and ability to compromise the so-called ASEAN way is under threat from big-power rivalries, however reluctant China and America may be to risk naval escalation.

ECONOMIST: Asian maritime diplomacy: Chinese checkers | The

But we will do it the ASEAN way.

CNN: TEST OF WILLS

The foreign ministers looked happy enough when they headed for the links after their epochal meeting in Kuala Lumpur last week, but then that's the ASEAN way: "agreeing to disagree without being disagreeable, " as Malaysian academic Noordin Sopiee likes to put it.

CNN: AND THEN THERE WERE TEN

Others see membership of ASEAN as a way to keep Myanmar from moving entirely into China's orbit or, worse, becoming a cockpit of Sino-Indian competition.

ECONOMIST: An ugly regime becomes even uglier | The

The Communist bloc has broken up, so Vietnam has no other way but to join ASEAN and APEC.

CNN: 'FRUSTRATIONS ARE HIGH'

He says ASEAN countries deserve praise for cutting tariffs in a non-discriminatory way (ie, on goods produced both inside and outside ASEAN).

ECONOMIST: Vague hopes of integration and messy bilateral squabbles

SLORC's heavy-handedness in dealing with Suu Kyi's democracy campaign may be embarrassing, but everyone in ASEAN agrees that talk, not sanctions, is the only way to bring about change.

CNN: TEST OF WILLS

Though the expansion of ASEAN is largely symbolic, the European Union started much the same way.

CNN: AND THEN THERE WERE TEN

We recognized the United States as a longstanding educational resource and destination for students from ASEAN, and highlighted the desirability of increased opportunities for two-way academic exchanges and programmes.

WHITEHOUSE: Joint Statement of the 4th ASEAN-U.S. Leaders' Meeting

That, by the way, follows on the discussion that the President had with the ASEAN leaders yesterday about the South China Sea.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

Doing something serious about their most roguish member would be a good way to prove wrong those doubters (including your columnist) who see ASEAN doomed by its own inaction to irrelevance.

ECONOMIST: Asia.view: Bad neighbour | The

Jeff Bader can speak to this further, but this, I believe, is the first meeting between a President of the United States and the ASEAN 10, and again, signals this President's strong commitment to work in a comprehensive way with our Asian partners.

WHITEHOUSE: THE WHITE HOUSE