NHK reported that Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato officially announced today that Prime Minister Suga will participate in the ASEAN Summit to be held online from Nov. 12. “He is expected to discuss cooperation in a wide range of areas including measures to combat the new coronavirus, and exchange views on how to respond to imminent challenges faced by the region and the international community, such as the issues of the South China Sea and North Korea,” Kato reportedly said. “Japan will actively participate in discussions on regional cooperation on measures to combat the new coronavirus and on efforts to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific and clarify our stance on these matters.”