ASEAN is thriving and its influence has widened. It has announced that it would establish the ASEAN community by the end of 2015. Irrespective of the huge economic disparities among its members and the dissimilarity with the European Union, the process of integration is impressive. If indeed the art of survival of small nations is to maintain the right balance with major powers, then it makes sense for them to hang together to, at least, look big.

So far ASEAN has carefully maintained such a balance among regional powers. The strategy is to engage through the “ASEAN Way”, which emphasizes comfort to all. No haste. No worry. I am only happy if you are merry. After two decades, such a strategy has worked. Major regional powers such as China, Russia, Japan, Australia and the United States all agree to ASEAN’s centrality in regional security.

But ASEAN must exercise moderation. If balance is the key, then the key to balance is neutrality. And if ASEAN loses its neutrality, its centrality would be doomed. For ASEAN, neutrality means not only being impartial in its relations with major powers, but also being neutral in the disputes some of its member’s have with China, because this is what it has committed to. No matter how eagerly ASEAN wishes to conclude a Code of Conduct on the South China Sea with China, the precondition is that China has to have confidence in the Southeast Asian bloc.

It is noteworthy how the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman tried to differentiate Le from ASEAN when he said ASEAN is not owned by a particular country. This apparently means China doesn’t wish to spoil its relations with ASEAN even after the ASEAN secretary general made the inappropriate remark.

The author is an honorary fellow with Center of China-American Defense Relations, affiliated to the Academy of Military Science.