A busy week is in store for the Philippines, welcoming its 10 regional neighbors for the first time in nearly a decade, as Southeast Asia grapples with a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape and growing challenges to long-standing international norms.

Held under the theme "Navigating Our Future Together", this year’s ASEAN Foreign Minister’s Meeting (AMM) will focus on strengthening the region’s “security anchors”, with officials listing the South China Sea, the Myanmar crisis and “other regional and international developments” among the key agenda items.

One of the most closely watched events is the AMM Retreat on Thursday, a closed-door session traditionally used for candid exchanges on sensitive regional issues.

"All foreign ministers are free to raise whatever concerns they have related to regional and global developments. [They] may ask about the West Philippine Sea, or the South China Sea. We expect that [issue] will be raised, considering its importance in the region," Philippines ASEAN spokesperson Dominic Xavier M. Imperial said at a press briefing on Tuesday. 

Read also: Beyond claims: Why Indonesia must anchor the South China Sea COC

For decades, Manila has been at the forefront of maritime disputes and incidents with China, a key economic partner in Southeast Asia, in the South China Sea, alongside other ASEAN claimant states, namely Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. 

Popular

Davos narrative and domestic realities: Indonesia’s split story

Attempt to smuggle thousands of birds into Bali thwarted

Government halts operations at eight polluting facilities in Greater Jakarta