The heads of state of the 10 members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations were to hold further talks later Tuesday, also through video conferencing, with their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea who are expected to express their support in helping Asean fight the coronavirus. Vietnam, Asean's leader this year, has postponed an in-person gathering tentatively to June.
Founded in 1967 in the Cold War era, Asean – a diverse bloc representing more than 640 million people – has held annual summits of its leaders and top diplomats with ceremonies steeped in tradition, protocol and photo-ops. Derided as a talk shop by critics, the bloc is known largely for photographs of its leaders locking arms at annual meetings in a show of unity despite often-thorny differences.
The World Health Organisation called on South-East Asian countries last month to aggressively ramp up efforts to combat the viral outbreak as infections spread. Several visiting participants of a large religious gathering in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in late February reportedly tested positive for the virus after attending the event.
Tuesday’s summit was to include discussions on a regional stockpile of medical equipment for emergencies and establishing a regional fund for combating the pandemic.