Reality rules, eventually

Philippines foreign affairs secretary Theresa Lazaro speaking during the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay, Metro Manila in July. — Reuters

AFTER this year’s first Asean Summit in Cebu in May, the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM), the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) gathering and the East Asia Summit (EAS) followed in Manila last month.

The Philippines as Asean Chair now looks to the next Asean Summit in November. These events appear routine because significant geostrategic changes in the region are largely unreported.