The East Asia Summit (EAS) process was initiated in 2005 with the convening of the 1^st East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At its inception, the East Asia Summit comprised 16 participating countries, namely ASEAN Member States, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea. The United States and Russian Federation joined at the 6^th East Asia Summit in Bali, Indonesia on 19 November 2011.

The East Asia Summit refers to the Meeting of Heads of States/Governments of the EAS participating countries which is convened annually.

The East Asia Summit’s objectives and principles are outlined in its basic documents, including the 2005 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the East Asia Summit, the 2010 Ha Noi Declaration on the Commemoration of the Fifth Anniversary of the East Asia Summit, the 2011 Declaration of the 6^th East Asia Summit on the Principles for Mutually Beneficial Relations, the 2015 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the 10^th Anniversary of the East Asia Summit, and the 2020 Ha Noi Declaration on the 15^th Anniversary of the East Asia Summit. These documents reaffirm the nature of the EAS as a premier Leaders-led forum for dialogue and cooperation on broad strategic, political, and economic issues of common interest and concern with the aim of promoting peace, stability, and economic prosperity in East Asia.

The East Asia Summit has identified six priority areas of cooperation, namely environment and energy, education, finance, global health issues and pandemic diseases, natural disaster management, and ASEAN Connectivity. Plans of Actions have been developed to promote cooperation on these priority areas.

The East Asia Summit also discussed cooperation in other areas and emerging issues such as food security, trade and economics, maritime security and cooperation, and traditional and non-traditional security issues.