Asean engagement with external partners like China, US & Japan shows importance of platform for discussion: PM Wong

Laos is chairing the 44th and 45th Asean Summits in Vientiane, and on Oct. 10, 2024, began a series of summits with Asean's external partners that carried on into Oct. 11.

This included the 27th Asean-China Summit, as well as summits with the Republic of Korea, Japan, the Plus Three partners (China, Korea, and Japan, together), as well as Australia, India, Canada and the United States.

These countries also participated in the East Asia Summit, which also included New Zealand and Russia; and with the United Nations.

Plus Three

Starting the summits were sessions with China, South Korea, and Japan, the members of the Asean Plus Three mechanism.

All three countries were represented at a high level, with China's Premier Li Qiang attending, as well as South Korea and Japan's president and prime minister, Yoon Suk Yeol and Shigeru Ishiba, in attendance.

The 25th Asean-Republic of Korea summit was notable, as it upgraded Dialogue Relations to that of a Comprehensive Strategic Partner, joining with five CSP nations, Australia, China, India, Japan, and the United States.

PM Wong spoke about the upgraded relations at the 25th Asea-Republic of Korea Summit, saying that the upgrade reaffirmed "our commitment to stronger ties, and also to an open, inclusive, and rules-based regional order".

China

During the 27th Asean-China Summit, PM Wong also lauded Asean-China relations, celebrating the substantive conclusion of the Asean-China Free Trade Area 3.0 Negotiations after nearly two years.

The upgrade of the FTA, Asean's first with an external partner and China's first overall, was "an important move", PM Wong said, especially in a time of growing global protectionism.

"It will send a very clear and important message to everyone on the importance of free trade and win-win market cooperation".

PM Wong and the Singapore delegation would also hold a bilateral meeting with China's Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the summit.

The meeting comes as both sides prepare to celebrate the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025.

PM Wong also said that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade & Industry Gan Kim Yong would be taking over from him as the Singapore Co-chair of the Singapore-China Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC), which is the apex bilateral platform of the two countries, as was announced after Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan's September 2024 visit to Beijing.

Asean centrality as a platform to meet and be understood

PM Wong also posted about the summits in general.

The Summits were represented at the highest levels by all attending countries, with the prime ministers of India, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Both the U.S. and Russia sent their foreign ministers, Antony Blinken and Sergei Lavrov respectively, and the UN was represented by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

PM Wong said that the Asean Summits were more than just a place for Asean members to meet, but for the bloc to meet with its external partners, especially through its Asean Plus Three and East Asia Summit groupings.

He said the engagements "affirm the importance of 'Asean Centrality'", the idea that Asean "provides a key platform for regional discussions on many issues".

Despite diverse or divergent views, it was important for all countries to have a say, and for their perspectives to be understood.

"This builds trust and facilitates cooperation on areas of common interest".

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Top image via Betty Chua/ Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI)