The East Asia Summit

The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a regional leaders' forum for strategic dialogue and cooperation on key challenges facing the East Asian region. The EAS is a significant regional grouping with an important role to play in advancing closer regional integration and cooperation at a time of particular dynamism in East Asia. Australia participated, as a founding member, in the inaugural EAS held in Kuala Lumpur on 14 December 2005.

Membership of the EAS comprises the ten ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam), Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the United States and Russia. The 18 EAS member countries represent collectively 55 per cent of the world's population, account for almost 55 per cent of global GDP (according to IMF purchasing power parity GDP figures); EAS countries receive more than 74 per cent of Australia's total exports. The centrepiece of the EAS year is an annual leaders' Summit, usually held back-to-back with annual ASEAN leaders' meetings. In addition, a number of ministerial and senior officials' meetings are held during the year to take forward leaders' initiatives.

The Prime Minister attended the 7th EAS, held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 20 November 2012. The Summit provided a valuable opportunity for leaders to engage on key strategic, political and economic issues, including maritime security and regional economic integration and its role in the region's economic development. EAS leaders also discussed environment and energy issues, education, finance, global health and pandemic diseases, as well as natural disaster mitigation and ASEAN connectivity. The EAS continues to provide an opportunity for leaders to engage in frank, open discussion on the issues that matter to East Asia, and to set the direction for practical regional cooperation.

The Prime Minister, along with the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness, announced Australia's support for the beginning of negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). RCEP brings together the ten ASEAN countries, along with Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and New Zealand, and stands to deliver significant opportunities for Australian businesses. The Prime Minister also announced Australia's funding of $50 million for the Australia-Asia Program to combat Trafficking in Persons. The funding will help investigators and prosecutors increase convictions and reduce opportunities for trafficking, as well as support victims of trafficking through the criminal justice process.

The EAS also committed to address malaria, including the emerging public health threat of resistance to antimalarial medicines, acknowledging the significant human costs, potential impact for regional security and wider economic implications, including for trade and tourism. The Prime Minister outlined a commitment of $1 million to support the establishment of an Asia-Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance to bring countries of the Asia-Pacific together in the fight against malaria. Establishing the Alliance was a priority action from the Australian-hosted conference Malaria2012, and complements this year's EAS leaders' commitment to a regional response to this growing threat, through the Declaration of the EAS on Regional Responses to Malaria Control, and Addressing Resistance to Antimalarial Medicine.

Also at the Seventh EAS, leaders:

East Asia Summit documents

Previous East Asia Summit documents