⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The ongoing ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related summits in Malaysia's capital offer a vital neutral platform for major powers to engage in constructive dialog, said a Malaysian scholar, as foreign ministers from China, the United States, Russia and other nations gather amid growing regional tensions. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are among the high-profile attendees at the week-long meetings at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, which include all ASEAN members except Myanmar. University Malaysia Sabah associate professor Lai Yew Meng emphasized the unique value of the East Asia Summit format. Lai noted that "unlike other forums that risk being dominated by great power agendas, this ASEAN-convened platform maintains balanced space for genuine dialog." The scholar's comments come as the meetings address multiple challenges including pending U.S. tariffs affecting several ASEAN economies, Myanmar's ongoing civil conflict, and broader geopolitical tensions from Ukraine to the Middle East. Shotlist: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Recent: 1. Various of Kuala Lumpur Convention Center exterior, poster, flags; 2. Decorations, cityscape; 3. Flags of ASEAN countries; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - July 7, 2025 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Lai Yew Meng, associate professor, University Malaysia Sabah (partially overlaid with shots 5-7): "Some of these platforms tend to be quote unquote 'hijacked' by certain great powers and the narrative of those forums sometimes tend to be a bit one-sided or lopsided. The East Asia Summit, which is basically convened by ASEAN, tend to be a more neutral ground. That gives dialog partners the opportunity to very candidly share their opinions."; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - May 2025 5. Various of flags, attendees in meeting venue; 6. Exterior of meeting venue; 7. Flag of ASEAN; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - May 2025 8. Various of ASEAN sign, traffic; FILE: Jakarta, Indonesia - May 2023 9. Sign of ASEAN; FILE: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Date Unknown 10. Petronas Twin Towers; FILE: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - 2023 11. Cityscape; traffic; FILE: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Date Unknown 12. Cityscape. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]