The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) can do more with countries like its Plus Three partners — China, Japan and Korea — and Australia and New Zealand to enhance the 11-member bloc's resilience, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (May 8).«The conflict has shown that Asean does not exist in isolation. So even as we think strengthen our intra-Asean trade, supply chain, and integration, we have to think creatively about how we can work with external partners to enhance our resilience,» PM Wong said at the retreat session of the 48th Asean Summit being held in Cebu, Philippines.Beyond the Plus Three partners, which Asean member states have close links with, he suggested that the bloc can do more with countries like Australia and New Zealand. He noted that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had visited a number of Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia and Singapore. Read more