By all indications and in many respects, the Philippine chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), capped by this week’s 31st Asean Summit and Related Summits, was an unqualified success.

The agreements reached in Manila this week – on the protection of migrant workers, the launch of negotiations on a sea code of conduct, and new trade deals, among others – belie Western characterizations of Asean as a mere talk shop.