ASEAN tackles emergency virus fund, sea feud in video summit

Southeast Asian leaders have held their annual summit by video to discuss a regional emergency fund to respond to the coronavirus pandemic

HANOI, Vietnam — Southeast Asian leaders held their annual summit by video Friday to show unity and discuss a regional emergency fund to respond to the immense crisis brought by the coronavirus pandemic. Long-divisive South China Sea conflicts were also in the spotlight.

The leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations talked online due to regional travel restrictions and health risks that delayed dozens of meetings and shut out the ceremonial sessions, group handshakes and photo-ops that have been the trademark of the 10-nation bloc’s annual summits.

Vietnam, the current ASEAN chair, had planned face-to-face meetings, but most member states assessed it was still too risky for leaders to travel….