Growing Naypyidaw hosts 25th ASEAN Summit

The 25th ASEAN Summit was held in the Naypyidaw, Myanmar from November 12th to 13th, 2014, which was attended by 10 ASEAN heads of government. The ASEAN Summit, held biannually since the 14th ASEAN Summit in Cha Am, Thailand, was headed by Myanmar for the first time since its ascension in 1997. The Naypyidaw Declaration on the ASEAN Community’s Post-2015 Vision has been adopted in the gathering to ensure the adaptation of the plans for the ASEAN integration slated at 2015. This complements the Declaration on Strengthening the ASEAN Secretariat and Reviewing the ASEAN Organs, which seeks to maintain ASEAN centrality in the regional architecture.

In an unprecedented move, Myanmar President Thein Sein mentioned the concern over the situation in the South China Sea. He has stressed the importance of collective commitments of ASEAN member states in the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law including UNCLOS. Members of ASEAN, including the Philippines and Vietnam, have faced several stand-offs in the disputed maritime waters with China. In a report by Xinhua, China’s participation through Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in the summit shows the “new phase for China-ASEAN cooperation.”

Naypyidaw, the new administrative capital of Myanmar since 2005, is not new to international and high-profile meetings and events. It has been the host of the World Economic Forum and Southeast Asia Games in June and December 2013 respectively. Earlier this year, the 24th ASEAN Summit was held in the capital as well.

While skepticism about the sustainability of the new capital has been present, the success of the various events in the new capital has shown signs of growth to the project of the then military government. Pegged at USD 6 billion, the ‘royal capital’ showcases infrastructure beyond its needs, whilst poverty can be seen in the city borders. About 50 hotels are located in the city, as well as many on-going suburban-type residential construction projects.

Despite criticism, the Irrawaddy reports that the city is growing and is ‘showing signs of growth’ as more private enterprises have been opening. While still the third largest city after Yangon and Mandalay, Naypyidaw’s population steadily grows to about 1.2 million residents, about 6 percent of the total population of the country.