Asean+3 leaders hold virtual summit

Meeting of minds: A screencap showing Moon speaking to Asean+3 leaders during the virtual summit. — AP

Hanoi: South-East Asian leaders warned of the crippling economic cost of the coronavirus at a summit held online, calling for trade routes to reopen to protect jobs and food supplies, as well as the stockpiling of medical equipment.

At the special summit of Asean+3 (China, Japan and South Korea), Vietnam – which chaired the meeting yesterday – urged leaders to set up an emergency fund to tackle the pandemic, as the virus ravages the region’s tourism and export-reliant economies.