Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the 20th East Asia Summit (EAS) on the afternoon of October 27 in Kuala Lumpur, joining leaders from ASEAN and partner countries including China, the United States, Russia, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Australia and New Zealand.

The meeting marked the EAS’s 20th anniversary and offered a moment to review two decades of the forum’s development as a premier regional dialogue platform on strategy, political-security and economic issues.

Leaders noted the forum’s scale and potential with 18 members representing more than half the world’s population and about 60% of global GDP. Trade   between ASEAN and EAS partners reached roughly US$1.9 trillion in 2024, while FDI flows totalled nearly US$93 billion, underscoring wide prospects for deeper cooperation.

Participants welcomed progress in carrying out the EAS Work Plan for 2024-2028 and agreed to concentrate resources on practical cooperation in areas that can drive regional development: innovation, the digital economy, infrastructure connectivity, energy transition, green growth, education, health and disaster preparedness, all aligned with and contributing to the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

Amid profound regional and global shifts and intensifying strategic competition among major powers, leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining the EAS as an open, inclusive, transparent and rules-based framework, with ASEAN at the centre of regional cooperation and order. They underlined the need to uphold multilateralism, equitable dialogue and confidence-building to reduce risks, prevent miscalculation and avert conflict.

On maritime issues, leaders reaffirmed the need to maintain peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea-a shared regional and global interest. They called for restraint, while urging that disputes be handled peacefully in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and reiterated support for full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and for the early conclusion of a substantive, effective and legally binding Code of Conduct (COC) consistent with international law and UNCLOS.

Regarding the Korean Peninsula, the EAS voiced support for dialogue aimed at durable peace and urged restraint and diplomatic steps consistent with UN resolutions. On Myanmar, leaders emphasized that the country remains part of the ASEAN community, called for an end to violence, comprehensive dialogue, facilitation of humanitarian aid and full implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus.

In his address, PM Pham Minh Chinh said the world is entering a period of heightened turbulence and global challenges, calling for strengthened unity, closer connectivity and robust multilateral cooperation to preserve a peaceful, stable and secure environment for inclusive, sustainable development. He warned against unilateral actions that could raise the risk of confrontation, disrupt supply chains or impede trade and investment.

Noting the EAS’s strategic importance, the Government leader urged the forum to defend the principles of international law and multilateralism, to promote an open, inclusive, transparent and rules-based regional order with ASEAN at its centre, and to take the lead in fostering the new drivers of growth, in particular science and technology, innovation, digital transformation and green transition.

Speaking in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation, he outlined proposals aimed at preserving peace and stability while boosting regional cooperation. He called for immediate and continued efforts to uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea as a prerequisite for shared prosperity, urging parties to respect international law (notably UNCLOS 1982), exercise restraint, resolve disputes peacefully, fully implement the DOC and accelerate the finalization of an effective COC.

He reaffirmed Vietnam’s willingness to contribute to durable peace on the Korean Peninsula, asking parties to resume talks, avoid escalation and comply with relevant UN resolutions. He also appealed for an end to violence in Myanmar, called for comprehensive dialogue, facilitation of humanitarian access, and support for a genuine reconciliation process leading to free, fair and inclusive elections, while urging partners to back ASEAN’s efforts.

The summit concluded with leaders adopting the Kuala Lumpur Declaration marking the 20th anniversary of the EAS and issuing an EAS declaration on enhancing localized action in disaster risk forecasting and response- measures intended to strengthen the forum’s strategic cooperation foundations toward a peaceful, stable, resilient and prosperous region.

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