Asia-Pacific foreign ministers discussed their responses to the coronavirus pandemic, South China Sea disputes, the North Korean nuclear issue and Hong Kong affairs at an online meeting hosted by Vietnam on Saturday.
The 27-member ASEAN Regional Forum, including the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the United States, China and Japan, is one of the very few multilateral events attended by North Korea's foreign minister almost every year.
With escalating Sino-U.S. tensions impacting security risks and economic structures in the region, the world's two major powers were expected to clash in the meeting over matters such as China's military activities in regional waters and human rights.