East Asia Summit brings together US, Chinese, Russian, ASEAN officials

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – The 18th East China Summit in Indonesia brought together officials from the US, China, Russia, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

US Vice President Kamala Harris, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended the summit on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN summit in Jakarta.

Besides the ASEAN leaders, the South Korean president, and the prime ministers of Japan, India, Canada, and Australia were among the participants.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, in his opening remarks reminded the participating leaders of their “big responsibility to create peace, stability and prosperity in the region.”

Urging steps against new conflicts, Jokowi said there was a need for a “thaw in the frozen atmosphere to create a space for dialogue and bridge the existing differences.”

“ASEAN has been determined to make this region the epicenter of growth (and) ASEAN will continue to play a role as a contributor to peace and stability,” Jokowi told the East Asia Summit of 18 nations.

Indonesia is the current chair of the ASEAN.

The participation of top officials from the US, China, and Russia comes amid tensions over trade, the South China Sea, and the Russia-Ukraine war.