The heads of state or government of all 10 Asean nations may be invited for the next Republic Day parade and celebrations. It will be the first time ever that so many leaders may be chief guests at the parade. Of course, People's Republic of China (PRC) may see the gathering as a signal to fix its place in Asia and may try to subvert the whole thing by winning over some of the weak Asean countries. Whether it may succeed in its endeavor remains to be seen. This year, India and Asean are marking 25 years of dialogue partnership, 15 years of summit-level interaction, and five years of strategic partnership, through a wide range of activities, both in India and through Indian missions in Asean member-states, including a commemorative summit on the theme, 'Shared Values, Common Destiny'. India and Asean upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership in 2012, and the government has of late sought to further impart strategic content to relations by focusing on stepping up defense and security ties particularly with Vietnam which is, geographically, the soft underbelly of PRC. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said at the recent India-Asean Delhi Dialogue that India and Asean share a common geographical space where they face common traditional and non-traditional security challenges. "Freedom of navigation and respect for international law is therefore imperative in this context. Equally, we remain committed with Asean to enhance our maritime cooperation, to realize the full potential of our ocean economy. We will continue to step up cooperation in countering terrorism, piracy, and other transnational crimes," she had said. India and Asean are also "actively" negotiating for a 'regional comprehensive economic partnership', which is expected to emerge as the largest regional trading arrangement accounting for about 40% of world trade.