Raviprasad Narayanan replies: There are several key challenges facing the East Asia Summit (EAS):

First, EAS is beholden to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as progenitor of this regional forum. Mahathir Mohamad, current Prime Minister of Malaysia, is considered to be behind the idea of EAS. The inclusion of the United States and Russia was designed to accommodate two belligerents in the past, currently with a suspicious outlook vis-à-vis each other.

Parama Sinha Palit replies: Given the definition of the term ‘cultural appropriation’ as the “adoption of elements of a minority culture by members of the dominant culture”, I don’t think it can be applied in China’s case with respect to these two regions. It is more an attempt to influence culturally with an eye to fashion a diplomacy which is both benign and tactical.

Rahul Mishra replies: Both India and Japan have mutually beneficial diplomatic and economic interests in the Southeast Asian region. While India has been strengthening its ties with countries in the region, both bilaterally as well as multilaterally, earlier through its ‘Look East’ and now ‘Act East’ policy, Japan’s renewed interest in the region too is clearly evident from its proactive diplomatic engagements under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Udai Bhanu Singh replies: Myanmar’s November 08, 2015 elections were historic as the National League for Democracy (NLD) won a convincing majority with 255 seats in the Lower House (i.e. 79 per cent) and 135 seats in the Upper House (80 per cent) of the parliament, and 476 seats in the regional legislatures (75 per cent).