Asean retreat sets right tone

The gathering of Asean foreign ministers in Singapore ended on a good note on Tuesday.

At the retreat, top diplomats from all 10 member states were able to come to a swift agreement and stay united on many fronts - most notably on the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint in activities in the South China Sea to avoid raising tensions in the disputed waters.

Beijing's ambitions in the waterway, involving land reclamation and militarisation of islands in the area, have led to tense moments among Asean members - four of whom have overlapping claims.

Many will recall how a 2016 Asean-China meeting in Kunming ended in disarray after some member states were said to have blocked a joint statement by the grouping - leading to concerns over its unity.

But ties have moved on since then, and Tuesday's declaration of a shared commitment to promote peace and stability in the region seems to indicate that members have moved on from what observers called a "diplomatic fiasco". Today, there also seems to be a renewed conviction to ensure Asean remains a platform where members and outside powers can come together to talk and work out solutions, however sensitive an issue might be.

This augurs well for Asean as it begins negotiations with China next month on a code of conduct to manage tensions.

For Singapore, this is as strong a start as it could have hoped for as it begins its one-year term as Asean chairman. As Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan put it, resolving disputes in the South China Sea will not be easy, even with talks for the code under way. There are also likely to be other issues in the year ahead that will test the political will of Asean leaders.

Hence, Singapore's choice of resilience and innovation as the theme for its chairmanship is an apt approach to the challenges Asean faces, as the grouping seeks to maintain its centrality, unity and relevance in a time of geopolitical uncertainty.