The East Asia Summit, a forum for strategic, political, and economic dialogue comprising 19 countries, convened its 16th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila on July 23. To begin with, the Quad Foreign Ministers met again and reiterated their commitments unveiled at the 11th Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Delhi two months ago. For the first time, the Quad issued a dedicated joint statement on cooperation with ASEAN, rather than just meeting alongside the regional grouping. Beijing is a full participant in the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum. The visible loosening of ASEAN’s reflex to keep the Quad at arm’s length will not be lost on Beijing.