SEATO or equivalent - demand for a self-defense group in Southeast Asia!!!

[tranquilium]

In order to counter weight to an aggressive China.
It's time to think about recreate a military group for self-defense of Southeast Asia.
Who like would come to join, who doesn't like ... no need to come.

I guess below country would interest in :
USA
France
Japan
Australia
New Zealand
Phillipines
Vietnam
Indonesia
Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand ....



Something like this

The South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was an international organization for collective defense in Southeast Asia created by the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty, or Manila Pact, signed in September 1954 in Manila, Philippines. The formal institution of SEATO was established on 19 February 1955 at a meeting of treaty partners in Bangkok, Thailand.[1] The organization's headquarters were also in Bangkok. Eight members joined the organization.

Membership
8 states

• 
  Australia
• 
  New Zealand
• 
  Pakistan (including East Pakistan, now Bangladesh)
• 
  Philippines
• 
  Thailand
• 
  France
• 
  United Kingdom
• 
  United States

USA <----never going to gets its own hands dirty
France <----has no interest/strength for East/Southeast Asian affairs
Japan <-----maybe, though Japan's biggest trade partner is still China even after all the tension
Australia<-----biggest trade partner is China/zero disputes with China
New Zealand<-----biggest trade partner is China/doesn't want to fight anyone
Phillippine<-----yes, but only if you provide them with tons of cash/weapons
Vietnam<-----biggest trade partner is China/not going to fight a war with China after the decade long war that exhausted the nation
Indonesia<-----biggest trade partner is China/doesn't really have any conflict with China
Malaysia<-----biggest trade partner is China/doesn't really have any conflict with China
Singapore<----biggest trade partner is China (though Malaysia is close)/Singapore has an army?
Thailand<-----biggest trade partner is China (though Japan is close)/doesn't have any conflict with China.

So basically, you are asking a whole bunch of nations to cut off their largest trading partner for no gain. Unsurprisingly, US and Philippine are the only ones that have an interest in Southeast/East Asia and doesn't have China has the biggest trading partner and they are the ones most vocal about it.

I am surprised that France is even considered. After the Vietnam independence, France basically lost all stake and interest in the area and haven't looked back. Not to mention that out of the western European countries France has the most cooperation with China.

 

[bolo]

For all Cantonese speakers:

SEATO But!

 

[Zero_wing]

ASEAN is talk shop no balls now you wanna create a ASEAN version of the warsaw pact?