ASEAN's Response to COVID-19 and the Case of Vietnam

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been leaving its imprints and implications on almost every corner
sustaining the relevance and resilience of the ASEAN Community further beyond. International coordination and cooperation is of increasing demand and necessity. The pandemic has, therefore, brought to the fore the question of resilience - national, regional, and global, particularly in terms of effective policy response. This article analyses the COVID-19 response by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Vietnam as the ASEAN Chair in the year 2020. The argument is that COVID-19 has served as a reminder of the importance of science, technology and innovation, the real necessity for science-based policies, and the greater demand for national and regional resilience and good governance to deal with emerging challenges.

For Southeast Asia, the spirit of cohesiveness and responsiveness that Vietnam demonstrated and promoted in its ASEAN chairmanship year 2020 has been and will be determinant in the response to COVID-19 and sustaining the relevance and resilience of the ASEAN Community further beyond.

Dang Cam Tu PhD is Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations, Deputy Director-General of the Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. The views expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the institution she works for.

Xuân Linh (gt)