ASEAN faces integration hurdles

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are expected to use the 24th ASEAN Summit that started on Saturday to establish an economic community by the end of 2015, regardless of the political and economic obstacles and challenges they face, says a Xinhua News Agency analysis.

With less than two years to go before the scheduled deadline to establish the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), ASEAN member states have said that they remain committed to achieving the goal despite the obstacles.

The AEC, initiated in 2003, is aimed at creating a single market and production base covering a population of more than 600 million to allow free movement of goods, services, investments and skilled labor. Latest statistics from the ASEAN Secretariat show that about 80 percent of the work for the AEC is complete.