PHNOM PENH: During a press conference on Friday evening, 11 November, the Spokesperson for the ASEAN Summit, Kung Phoak, stated that unlike in previous years, the South China Sea dispute is no longer a hot topic for ASEAN leaders to discuss at the Summit.

Despite this, the Spokesperson stated that the South China Sea is still a major dispute for the region to resolve, however, he further noted that in recent years, the situation has become calmer without much conflict or disagreement.

"There are minor disputes, but they do not escalate into larger ones,” said Spokesperson Kung Phoak. He also outlined how the parties concerned in this traditional security issue have strived to collaborate on what can be done and are aware that the South China Sea dispute may take time to resolve.

The ASEAN Summit Cambodia is hosting this year has a number of regional and global issues to address. The greatest and most pressing concern is the nearly nine-month-old war between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar and the post-Covid-19 global economic crisis.