ASEAN hailed for fostering development across region

The 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits were held on Wednesday in Vientiane, with regional leaders and officials discussing ways to enhance the bloc's connectivity and resilience amid geopolitical challenges.

During the opening ceremony, Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has made achievements in fostering peace, stability, and prosperity across Southeast Asia, providing a favorable environment for socioeconomic development in member states.

As the regional and international environments are undergoing rapid and complex changes, Thongloun said ASEAN must continue to uphold its common cause of peace, stability, and sustainable development, as well as its commitment to multilateralism based on equality and mutual benefit.

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, as the ASEAN Chair, underscored the importance of enhancing connectivity and resilience to strengthen ASEAN Community building.

Laos has chosen "ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience" as the theme for its ASEAN chairmanship this year.

The meeting also discussed the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus the ASEAN leaders reached in 2021 for a peaceful solution to the Myanmar crisis.

Aung Kyaw Moe, permanent secretary of Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the gathering, the first time the country has sent a representative to the summits since the military took power in 2021.

Prime Minister of Timor-Leste Xanana Gusmao also attended the summits as ASEAN is working to grant the country full membership in the near future.

Charting future directions

Besides reviewing the achievements the bloc has made so far and charting out future directions, the meeting also discussed ASEAN's relations with external partners, including its future directions.

"Laos, like other ASEAN members, seeks to reinforce the idea that ASEAN should remain a platform for open dialogue and cooperation, ensuring that no external pressures divide the region," said Souliya Mounnarath, head of the International Cooperation Division, International Relations Office, National University of Laos.

This summit is a reminder that ASEAN's strength lies in its cohesion, resilience, and the ability to foster constructive engagement between all global powers, Souliya told China Daily.

As Chinese Premier Li Qiang is attending a series of ASEAN-related summit meetings, Souliya said China plays a pivotal role in promoting connectivity and resilience within the region, with the China-Laos railway, a project under the Belt and Road Initiative, exemplifying the type of connectivity that can enhance trade, mobility, and regional integration.

The summits hosted by Laos show the enduring nature of the ASEAN Way, which means that ASEAN countries have their own cultural inclinations of avoiding direct confrontations and opting for corridors and low-key diplomacy, said Lim Tai Wei, an adjunct senior research fellow at the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore.

"The announcement was made that they wish to tackle substantive matters besides symbolic ones," Lim told China Daily, citing issues such as bringing peace to Myanmar.

Noting ASEAN's clout is growing as the regional organization is becoming mature, Lim said such solidarity is important in a turbulent poly-crisis world.

The meetings will conclude on Friday, with Laos passing the ASEAN chairmanship to Malaysia.