In two years, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will reach a milestone. The regional group will become an "ASEAN Community” by 2015, standing on three pillars: the ASEAN Political and Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community or AEC, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. AEC will be the culmination of years of efforts to integrate the regional economy. The goal is to transform ASEAN into a single market and production base. ASEAN is envisioned as a regional economy with efficient production networks and high quality cross-border services. Under the AEC vision, goods, investments, and capital flow freely, but growth is inclusive, with small and medium enterprises thriving despite competition.
