在过去的几十年中,东盟一直以第三世界先进样板的身分出现。这个地区性组织的确是如此,它是同类组织当中最有生气和寿命最长的一个。对于大多数东盟成员国来说,情况也是如此,它们的经济年增长率一直在第三世界中名列前茅,并显示出一种能抵御持续的世界性特大经济衰退的活力。在头二十年中,东盟在国内与国外的许多领域里都取得了相当可喜的成就。如果东盟及其成员国想继续取得过去那种可喜成就的话, In the past few decades, ASEAN has emerged as the third most advanced model in the world. This is indeed the case for this regional organization, which is the most viable and longest-lived one among its kind. This is also true for most ASEAN member countries, whose annual rates of economic growth have been among the best in the Third World and have shown a viability to withstand the continuing mammoth global economic recession. In the first two decades, ASEAN has made quite gratifying achievements in many fields both at home and abroad. If ASEAN and its member states want to continue making the gratifying achievements of the past,