Beyond Symbolism?

This article examines ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) as a regional diplomatic framework and compares it with the Indo-Pacific strategies of major and middle powers, such as the United States, Japan and Australia. The findings indicate that while the AOIP lacks the coercive or material tools typically associated with power projection, it nonetheless plays a critical role in agenda-setting, norm entrepreneurship and sustaining ASEAN’s centrality amid intensifying strategic competition. By prioritising inclusivity, multilateralism and non-alignment, the AOIP contributes to regional order-building process in unique ways, offering a soft-power alternative to hard-aligned strategic approaches.