By Han Zhili

THE 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit and related summits ran last week. Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the China-Asean, Asean Plus Three and 18th East Asia summits on the main meeting's sidelines, to discuss East Asia integration and cooperation with Asean members and other dialogue partners. Indonesia's Asean chairmanship in 2023 was pursuing a vision of 'Asean Matters: Epicentrum of Growth.' This vision was rooted in the Asean's understanding of the current world situation and the bloc's role in anchoring world stability. The Asean stresses that the world is becoming increasingly complex and great power rivalries remain sharp. Open conflicts need to be managed so that new wars do not arise. Southeast Asia lies at the center of these dynamics. Indonesia, as chairman, focused on making Southeast Asian a stable and peaceful region, as the anchor of world stability.