SINGAPORE -- On Wednesday, representatives of 16 nations will gather in Kuala Lumpur for the inaugural session of the East Asia Summit (EAS). Participants to this meeting will comprise the 10 memers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus China, Japan and South Korea, as well as Australia, New Zealand, and India.
As Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo said, the EAS represents a crucial part of the region's "collective response to the dramatic changes taking place in the world -- globalization, the re-emergence of China and India, the challenge of international terrorism, and the revolutionary impact of new technologies."
The summit offers an opportunity to shape the East Asian region in ways that will best maintain its economic dynamism, enhance regional security, and preserve peace and stability.