Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to Attend 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila Ahead of Singapore’s 2027 Chairmanship
Singapore Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong will travel to Manila, the Philippines, from November 15 to 17, 2026, to attend the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits. The visit marks a critical transition period for the regional bloc as Singapore prepares to assume the rotating annual chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at the start of the coming year.
The three-day gathering in the Philippine capital represents the second of two annual leaders’ summits held by ASEAN in 2026. It serves as the culminating leaders’ meeting hosted under the Philippine chairmanship before Singapore officially assumes the leadership mantle of the ten-member grouping on January 1, 2027.
A central milestone of the gathering will take place during the summit’s closing ceremony on November 17. At the event, the outgoing chair, the Philippines, will formally hand over the ceremonial ASEAN chairmanship gavel to Singapore. Following the handover, Prime Minister Wong will deliver an address outlining Singapore’s priorities and overarching agenda for its forthcoming 2027 chairmanship.
The Manila summit concludes a year of regional diplomatic engagements directed under the Philippines’ chosen 2026 chairmanship theme, “Navigating Our Future, Together.” The theme has guided discussions across the bloc’s various ministerial councils and working groups throughout the past twelve months, focusing regional cooperation on joint approaches to shared regional developments and socioeconomic objectives.
In addition to internal deliberations among the ASEAN member states, the Manila itinerary features an extensive series of high-level multilateral engagements. Prime Minister Wong is scheduled to participate in summits with ASEAN’s key dialogue partners. These sessions include formal discussions with Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States, and the United Nations.
Prime Minister Wong will also take part in the ASEAN Plus Three Summit, which brings Southeast Asian leaders together with counterparts from China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, as well as the broader East Asia Summit. The East Asia Summit serves as a premier leaders-led forum for strategic dialogue on broad political, security, and economic issues affecting the wider Indo-Pacific region.
Throughout these partner engagements, discussions will center on deepening cooperative ties across trade, regional security frameworks, multilateral coordination, and sustained engagement between ASEAN and major international powers. The meetings provide a platform for member states to reaffirm ASEAN centrality within regional architecture while addressing common challenges alongside global partners.
Prime Minister Wong will be accompanied on the official visit to Manila by his wife, Loo Tze Lui, as well as Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. The delegation will also include senior officials from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office.
During Prime Minister Wong’s absence from November 15 to 17, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong will serve as Acting Prime Minister, overseeing government affairs in Singapore until Wong’s return.
The formal transition in Manila sets the stage for Singapore’s fifth turn at the helm of ASEAN since the bloc was established. Singapore’s upcoming term, which begins on January 1, 2027, will require the country to manage the grouping’s diplomatic agenda, host key ministerial and working sessions throughout the calendar year, and coordinate regional policy responses alongside member nations.