Singapore and New Zealand signed the world's first legally binding supply chain resilience pact to ensure the flow of essential goods like food, fuel, and healthcare products.

A report by the Asia Society Policy Institute concludes that middle powers are building overlapping economic, tech, and security networks to act as "shock absorbers" and prevent single disruptions from becoming systemic crises.

The United States is the primary security guarantor for countries in East Asia, including Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines.