Kuala lumpur: President Lee Jae Myung emphasized the necessity for South Korea, China, and Japan to intensify their collaboration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to effectively address emerging global challenges. He underscored these points during the ASEAN Plus Three summit, which took place in Kuala Lumpur and included the participation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.

According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee highlighted the pressing geoeconomic issues such as trade protectionism and the reorganization of global supply chains. He advocated for accelerated cooperation within the ASEAN+3 framework, which includes South Korea, China, and Japan. During the summit, a joint statement was adopted to strengthen economic and financial cooperation among these nations, a move President Lee deemed timely given the current regional complexities.

President Lee pointed out that the region faces a myriad of challenges, including aging populations, declining birth rates, the digital divide, climate change, food and energy insecurity, and transnational crime. He expressed a commitment to working closely with China and Japan to foster a mutually beneficial cycle, where trilateral exchanges reinforce ASEAN+3 cooperation, thereby invigorating trilateral engagement further.

This summit marked President Lee's first in-person meeting with Premier Li, preceding his scheduled summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Additionally, preparations are underway for Lee's first meeting with Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the APEC summit, as confirmed by the presidential office.