ASEAN TIMELINE of important events

1967 The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN was established in Bangkok by
Aug 8 the five original Member Countries, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines,
Singapore, and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined on 8 January 1984, Vietnam on
28 July 1995, Laos and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999.

1977 H.E. Lee Kuan Yew, the PM of Singapore, formally opened the Fourth Meeting of the
Jun ASEAN Economic Ministers which was held in Singapore on 27-29 June 1977.
27

1977 Japan’s PM Fukuda visited 5 ASEAN nations and in Manila promised SE Asia that
Aug Japan forever renounced aggression against its neighbors. This became known as the
Fukuda doctrine.

1997 The 7-member ASEAN alliance, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, met in Kuala
May Lumpur and agreed to allow Burma to become a member in July. Laos and Cambodia
31 were also to be admitted.

1997 ASEAN foreign ministers voted to suspend Cambodia’s pending membership. The US
Jul 10 announced a 3/4 reduction of staff and some aid. More than 50 people were dead after
2 days of fighting.

1997 In Cambodia Hun Sen rejected a peace plan proposed by the 7-nation ASEAN group.
Jul 19

1997 The ASEAN trade bloc admitted Laos and Burma but barred Cambodia.
Jul 23

1998 In Hanoi, Vietnam, the ASEAN nations approved the "Hanoi Action Plan," a 34-point
Dec declaration that emphasized economic recovery based on free-market policies.
16

1999 In the Philippines the 10-nation ASEAN summit opened.

Nov
27

1999 ASEAN leaders in the Philippines agreed to increase cooperation with Japan, China
Nov and South Korea in an "East Asia Forum" known as ASEAN+3 and to move toward a
28 common market.

2000 The Chiang Mai Initiative (CMI) was set up to help East Asian cash strapped countries
May 6 defend their currencies in times of trouble. The initiative came in response to the 1997
East Asian financial crises. ASEAN and ASEAN+3 launched the multilateral
arrangement of currency swaps (CMI).

2002 China signed a landmark agreement, “Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the
Nov 4 South China Sea,” with ASEAN (Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam) on avoiding
open conflict in the disputed South China Sea Spratly Islands. Indonesia objected and
 Taiwan was barred from signing.

2002 The ASEAN ended a 2-day conference in Cambodia that was also attended by
Nov 5 representatives from China, Japan, and India and South Africa.

2002 China and ASEAN agreed to a China-ASEAN free-trade area to be implemented in

stages up to 2015.

2003 Ministers of the ASEAN met ahead of a leaders' summit on Indonesia's resort island of
Oct 5 Bali, with leaders of China, India, Japan and South Korea joining the bloc to sign trade
and security accords.

2003 ASEAN members met for a 2-day summit in Tokyo. Japan joined the 10 Southeast
Dec Asian nations in a pledge to expand trade and join forces on regional security.
11

2004 ASEAN and China signed an accord to create the world's biggest free trade area by
Nov removing tariffs for their 2 billion people by decade's end.
29

2005 In Malaysia Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer signed the Treaty of Amity
Dec and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, which calls for signatories not to interfere in each
10 other's internal affairs. The treaty was born within the 10-member ASEAN, which made
signing the pact a condition for entry into next week's inaugural East Asian summit.

2007 East Timor and France signed non-aggression treaties with ASEAN member countries
Jan on the sidelines of the annual ASEAN summit in the Philippine resort city of Cebu.
12 Both countries looked to strengthen ties with a bloc representing a sixth of the world's
people.

2007 ASEAN leaders meeting in the Philippines signed an agreement to regulate migrant
Jan workers.
13

2007 ASEAN leaders meeting in the Philippines signed an agreement to liberalize the trade
Jan in services between China and ASEAN countries.
14

2008 Japan and ASEAN said they had finished signing a deal to tear down trade barriers
Apr between the world's second-largest economy and the ASEAN.
14