The East Asia Summit (EAS) is the Indo-Pacific's premier forum for strategic dialogue. It is the only leader-led forum at which all key Indo-Pacific partners meet to discuss political, security and economic challenges facing the region, and has an important role to play in advancing closer regional cooperation. Australia participated, as a founding member, in the inaugural EAS held in Kuala Lumpur on 14 December 2005.

The EAS has 18 members - the ten ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) along with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States. ASEAN leads the forum, and the chair position rotates between ASEAN Member States annually.

In 2022, EAS members represented 52.8 per cent of the world's population and accounted for 60.4 per cent of global GDP. It includes eight of Australia's top ten trading partners. In 2021-22, Australia's two-way trade with EAS countries was worth A$771.6 billion, 73.0 per cent of total two-way trade.

EAS Meetings and Processes

The EAS calendar culminates in the annual Leaders' Summit, which is usually held alongside ASEAN Leaders' meetings in the fourth quarter of every year. In addition to their discussions, leaders issue joint statements on topical issues, to signal political will for framing policy responses and to provide a basis for cooperation.

In addition to the Leaders' Summit, meetings of EAS Foreign Ministers and Economic Ministers are held annually. These also serve as platforms for frank discussion of political, regional security, and economic issues; and prepare for the Leaders' Summit, including by developing statements for leaders' consideration of new areas of cooperation and mutual understanding. Meetings of the EAS Environment, Energy, and Education Ministers are also held regularly.

Additional support for the EAS is provided through EAS Senior Officials' Meetings (SOM) and EAS Ambassadors' Meetings in Jakarta (EAMJ). EAS Senior Officials and EAS Ambassadors in Jakarta meet regularly to discuss emerging issues, to prepare for EAS meetings, and to take forward decisions by EAS leaders.

A dedicated EAS Unit within the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta also supports the monitoring and implementation of decisions by EAS leaders.

Recent activities in the EAS

East Asia Summit 2022

The 17th EAS was held on 13 November 2022 in Phnom Penh, chaired by Cambodia. EAS leaders discussed regional issues including food and energy insecurity caused by Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine, concerns over escalating violence and the worsening humanitarian situation in Myanmar, climate action, rules-based trade (RCEECP and AANZFTA), the South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula. The 18th EAS will take place in late 2023 in Indonesia ‒ the 2023 ASEAN and EAS Chair.

EAS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting 2022

The 12th EAS Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held on 5 August 2022 in Phnom Penh. Foreign Ministers discussed strategic challenges facing the region, including the situation in Myanmar, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, maritime security and the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula, counter-terrorism, disinformation, and climate change.

EAS Economic Ministers’ Meeting 2022

The 10th EAS Economic Ministers' Meeting was held in Siem Reap on 17 September 2022, chaired by Cambodia. EAS Economic Ministers acknowledged ASEAN’s centrality in regional post-pandemic recovery. They reaffirmed their commitment to building greater regional economic resilience by facilitating trade, investment, and secure and resilient supply chains. Ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to reform of the World Trade Organisation’s monitoring, negotiating and dispute settlement functions. Australia and likeminded countries also registered concerns regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and reiterated increased concerns regarding the deteriorating political, economic, and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.

East Asia Summit documents 2022

• Chair’s Statement of the 17th East Asia Summit, 13 November 2022 [PDF]
• Chair’s Statement of the 17th East Asia Summit on advancing women’s economic empowerment, strengthening energy cooperation for a comprehensive post-covid-19 recovery, and promoting volunteerism for sustainable development [PDF]
• Joint Statement of the 6th East Asia Summit Education Ministers’ Meeting 12 October [PDF]
• ASEAN Media Statement on the 10th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers’ Meeting, 17 September 2022 [PDF]
• Joint Ministerial Statement of the 16th East Asia Summit Energy Ministers Meeting, 16 September 2022 [PDF]
• Chair’s Statement of the 12th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, 5 August 2022 [PDF]

East Asia Summit documents 2021

• Chair’s Statement of the 16th East Asia Summit, 27 October 2021
• EAS Leaders’ Statement on Sustainable Recovery
• EAS Leaders’ Statement on Mental Health Cooperation
• EAS Leaders’ Statement on Economic Growth Through Tourism Recovery
• Chair’s Statement of the 11th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, 4 August 2021
• Joint media statement of the 9th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers' Meeting, 15 September 2021

East Asia Summit documents 2020

• Chair's Statement on 15th East Asia Summit, 15 November 2020
• Ha Noi Declaration on the Fifteenth Anniversary of the East Asia Summit
• EAS Leaders' Statement on Cooperation to Promote Steady Growth of Regional Economy
• EAS Leaders' Statement on Women, Peace and Security
• EAS Leaders' Statement on Strengthening Collective Capacity in Epidemics Prevention and Response
• EAS Leaders' Statement on Marine Sustainability
• Chair's Statement on 10th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting, 9 September 2020
• Joint media statement of the 8th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers' Meeting, 28 August 2020

East Asia Summit documents 2019

• Chair's Statement on 14th East Asia Summit, 4 November 2019
• EAS Leaders' Statement on Cooperation to Combat Transnational Crime
• EAS Leaders' Statement on Partnership for Sustainability
• EAS Leaders' Statement on Combating the Spread of Illicit Drugs
• Joint media statement of the 7th EAS Economic Ministers' Meeting, Thailand, 10 September 2019
• Chair's Statement of the 9th EAS Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Thailand, 2 August 2019

East Asia Summit documents 2018

• Chair's Statement on the 13th East Asia Summit, 15 November 2018
• EAS Leaders' Statement on ASEAN Smart Cities
• EAS Leaders' Statement on Combatting Marine Plastic Debris
• EAS Leaders' Statement on Counter the Threat of Foreign Terrorist Fighters and Returnees
• EAS Leaders' Statement on Deepening Cooperation in the Security of ICT and of the Digital Economy
• EAS Leaders' Statement on the Safe and Secure Use, Storage, and Transport of Nuclear and Other Radioactive Materials
• Joint media statement of the 6th EAS Economic Ministers' Meeting, Singapore, 1 September 2018
• Chair's Statement of the 8th EAS Foreign Ministers' Meeting, 4 August 2018, Singapore

East Asia Summit documents 2017

• Chair's Statement of the 12th East Asia Summit, 14 November 2017
• EAS Leaders' Declaration on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism, 14 November 2017
• EAS Leaders' Statement on Cooperation in Poverty Alleviation, 14 November 2017
• EAS Leaders' Statement on Countering Ideological Challenges of Terrorism and Terrorist Narratives and Propaganda, 14 November 2017
• EAS Leaders' Statement on Chemical Weapons, 14 November 2017
• Manila Plan of Action to Implement the Phnom Penh Declaration on the EAS Development Initiative and EAS areas of Cooperation (MPOA) [PDF]