ASEAN Plus Three Pledges Stronger Resilience Amid Global Uncertainty

MANILA, July 27, 2026 (KPT) – ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea have pledged to bolster regional resilience against mounting geopolitical and global uncertainties, with foreign ministers calling for closer cooperation on food security, energy transition and crisis preparedness.

At the 27th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila on Wednesday, ministers reaffirmed their commitment to peace, stability and prosperity in East Asia while keeping ASEAN at the centre of regional cooperation.

The meeting welcomed progress in implementing the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Work Plan (2023–2027) and agreed to deepen practical cooperation to better prepare the region for future challenges.

Key priorities included strengthening food security through the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) and accelerating energy transition efforts, notably the ASEAN Power Grid.

Ministers also underscored the need to reinforce the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM), the region’s financial safety net, to ensure countries can respond more effectively to crises.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said cooperation had become increasingly vital as countries faced a more uncertain global environment.

He urged stronger collaboration on food and energy security and called for improving the CMIM’s operational readiness, surveillance capacity and accessibility.

Sokhonn also stressed the importance of deepening economic partnerships among ASEAN Plus Three members to support sustainable growth and uphold a free, open and rules‑based trading system.

The ASEAN Plus Three grouping, which brings together ASEAN’s 10 members with China, Japan and South Korea, was established to strengthen cooperation in response to regional and global challenges.

The Manila meeting formed part of a series of ASEAN foreign ministers’ talks focused on security, resilience and cooperation amid an increasingly uncertain international landscape.