The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and related meetings in Metro Manila next week.DFA spokesperson Dominic Xavier Imperial stated that while the exact meetings they will attend are still unclear, their participation is expected.Other nations set to join include Russia, Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada, South Korea, the UK, Brazil, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey.

The discussions aim to address political security, economic, and sociocultural engagements within ASEAN, as well as regional and international issues.However, topics like the Batanes dispute are excluded from the agenda, with Imperial clarifying it is not an ASEAN matter.The Philippines has dismissed claims by Chinese scholars about Batanes' sovereignty, emphasizing its stance on territorial integrity.This meeting marks the Philippines' role in hosting ASEAN's biannual summit, a significant diplomatic event for regional cooperation.