ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi attends a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister in Moscow on Feb 3, 2020. (ALEXANDER NEMENOV / AFP)

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has pledged support for China and has acknowledged its efforts to contain the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

In this battle against the novel coronavirus, ASEAN is willing to strengthen its communication and coordination with China in the policies and the health sector

Vietnam, chairman of the regional bloc this year, released a statement on Feb 15, saying that ASEAN is expressing not only its “solidarity and heartfelt support” for China but for all other countries which helped in managing the outbreak. 

Lim Jock Hoi, secretary-general of ASEAN, said the Chinese government has taken a series of effective measures when dealing with the novel coronavirus epidemic. “ASEAN highly appreciates these measures,” Lim told Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Deng Xijun at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta on Feb 14.

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Lim said the Chinese side provides timely briefings on the latest updates of the epidemic to ASEAN on a daily basis, and the communication between the two sides is prompt and sufficient.

Calling upon all parties to work together in the anti-coronavirus fight, Lim said, the epidemic is not an issue that only affects China as the social and economic impacts have spread across the entire region and even the globe.

The ASEAN statement said that apart from strengthening the coordination of national and regional efforts against COVID-19, the 10-member ASEAN also needs to share information, experiences and best practices with China, the World Health Organization and other international partners on the prevention, detection, and treatment of the COVID-19 infections.

The ASEAN chairman complimented its member-states for “the pro-active role and timely actions” and for their collaboration with China, Japan and South Korea in the prevention and control of the spread of the COVID-19.

It also emphasized on the importance of solidarity and the “spirit of a cohesive and responsive ASEAN Community” in light of the challenges posed by the COVID-19.

Lim recalled that ASEAN and China cooperated in controlling the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in 2003, which accumulated useful experience.

In this battle against the novel coronavirus, ASEAN is willing to strengthen its communication and coordination with China in the policies and the health sector. ASEAN will join hands with China in overcoming the difficulties, said Lim.

Xu Ningning, executive president of the China-ASEAN Business Council, also noted cited the fight against SARS as their formal cooperation in the health sector.

Xu said China and Southeast Asian countries are not only friendly neighbors but also important economic and trade partners.  As such, controlling the outbreak is closely tied with the life and health of the people in the region.

He said the upcoming action plan to implement The Joint Declaration on China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity (2021-25) will strengthen health cooperation.  

“China and ASEAN are enhancing their communication in policies and medical information…to win the battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak together,” he said.

Six of the 10 ASEAN members have reported a combined 148 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the Feb 16 report of the WHO

Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said the ASEAN Chairman is urging member countries to use existing mechanism to counter the spread of the virus. These include sharing of information and best practices among themselves and with China.

“Timely sharing of information between China and ASEAN countries would of course help stop the spread of the virus,” Oh said.

Analysts note that ASEAN’s statement is timely with the COVID-19 testing the capacity of the public health systems and the economic resilience of ASEAN countries.

Six of the 10 ASEAN members – Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – have reported a combined 148 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the Feb 16 report of the WHO. The region has the most number of confirmed cases outside of China.

“It is a good statement and reaffirmed ASEAN’s collective response,” said Kavi Chongkittavorn, senior fellow at the Institute of Security and International Studies, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

Kavi notes that the statement indicates that ASEAN has a common plan of action to deal with contagious diseases.

“The statement released by ASEAN is apt and timely because the coronavirus is transnational and borderless,” said Mustafa Izzuddin, research fellow at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Institute of South Asian Studies.

Izzuddin said ASEAN’s statement “demonstrates its unity in purpose to combat this virus and contain its outbreak”.

He said that the regional organization was able “to rise above parochial national interests and domestic impediments to combat this virus as a unified collective”.

Southeast Asian countries have individually imposed measures to mitigate the impact of the virus in their respective countries.

Apart from imposing travel restrictions, most Southeast Asian countries have strengthened surveillance and case detection. They have also launched public health campaigns, educating people about the need to maintain good hygiene practices as a way to contain the spread of the virus.  

Health authorities are also releasing updated lists of the number people who have contracted the virus.

Southeast Asia’s leaders have assured their constituents that they have enough resources to contain the outbreak – calming down an anxious population that still has fresh memories of the SARS outbreak in 2003.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has assured Filipinos “that everything is well in the country. There is nothing really to be extra scared of that (novel) coronavirus”

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has assured that Singapore has learned from its experience in tackling SARS.

He said the country is better prepared to deal with COVID-19, citing the adequate supply of masks and personal protective equipment, sufficient number of well-trained doctors and nurses, upgraded medical facilities and the country’s advanced research capabilities.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has assured Filipinos “that everything is well in the country. There is nothing really to be extra scared of that (novel) coronavirus”.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said “the government has taken 100 percent control of the situation”. He assured that he is personally overseeing all the operations related to the virus. 

Prayut said Thailand is capable of screening international passengers and the government’s precautionary measures are in line with international standards.

Izzuddin of NUS commended the policies imposed by each ASEAN member as a means to protect its respective populace. But he also noted that combatting the coronavirus is a “collective responsibility which would require close regional cooperation to be effective”.

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Punchada Sirivunnabood, associate professor of political science at the Bangkok-based Mahidol University, welcomed ASEAN’s statement and its focus on both regional and international cooperation.

“But ASEAN can’t force every member country to adopt the same set of policies,” she said. Punchada said ASEAN respects each member country’s decision to do what is right for their national interest.