China and ASEAN Agree to Enhance Regional Energy Security

The Government of China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations reached an agreement to enhance regional energy security during a foreign ministers' meeting in Manila on Friday. The two parties agreed to explore cooperation mechanisms for energy supply chains, power interconnectivity, and renewable energy, leveraging frameworks such as the Global Development Initiative and China's Belt and Road Initiative.

This cooperation follows severe oil import disruptions caused by escalating conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. These geopolitical shocks led the Philippines Department of the Interior and Local Government to declare a national energy emergency in response to fuel shortages and price hikes.

ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn emphasized the need for deeper cooperation with China after these events exposed vulnerabilities in regional energy supply chains. In a joint statement, both parties welcomed US-Iran negotiations mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, calling for a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the Middle East.