Leaders meeting in Manila face pressure to respond to the Middle East conflict, Myanmar’s civil war and tensions in the South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines – International News Service — Southeast Asian leaders opened a three-day summit Sunday as conflicts inside and beyond the region threaten trade, energy security and ASEAN’s efforts to present a united diplomatic front.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., this year’s chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said global problems were reshaping Southeast Asia faster than any country could respond alone. ASEAN now has 11 members following Timor-Leste’s admission.

The summit agenda includes Myanmar’s civil war, competing territorial claims in the South China Sea, rising food and energy costs and transboundary haze. Leaders are also expected to discuss how the Middle East conflict is affecting regional economies.

Draft statements reviewed by The Associated Press reaffirm ASEAN’s support for international law, peaceful dispute resolution and freedom of navigation and overflight. Those principles carry particular weight in the South China Sea, where several ASEAN members have overlapping claims with China.

ASEAN’s divisions could limit the outcome. Some members maintain close security ties with the United States, while others depend heavily on China for trade and investment. The bloc has also struggled to enforce its Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar, where fighting has continued despite repeated diplomatic appeals.

Expanded meetings with Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, the United Nations and the United States are scheduled through Tuesday. Chinese Premier Li Qiang is due to meet ASEAN leaders Monday. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected Tuesday, after the main ASEAN sessions, for meetings that include a special U.S.-ASEAN summit.

The Philippines will transfer ASEAN’s rotating chair to Singapore at the closing ceremony.

Sources: Philippine Presidential Communications Office; ASEAN Secretariat;