ASEAN and APEC share many goals and priorities in promoting economic and developmental cooperation in Southeast Asia and the wider Pacific region. Connectivity is one of these. ASEAN endorsed the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity in 2010, while APEC, under Indonesia's Chairmanship in 2013, is looking at components similar to this plan. To avoid duplication and to optimize on limited resources, APEC has highlighted seven areas for possible collaboration with ASEAN — supply chain connectivity, trade facilitation, investment, disaster management, structural reform, food security and SMEs. But challenges persist. ASEAN wants to ensure its pivotal role in regional economic integration but feels threatened by the U.S. policy to promote APEC or TPP. Moreover, at this moment, ASEAN's participation in APEC is limited because three of its members — Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos — are not part of APEC. With uncertainty in the West, cooperation in Asia is likely to gain importance. Cooperation amongst Asian neighbours can play the role of “bridge builder” between individual Asian economies with the rest of the world. This can reduce disparities in income and have positive spillover effects for technological development, energy security, disaster preparedness and other critical areas.