ASEAN summits prioritize stronger cooperation in "ASEAN Way": Lao president

The 44th and 45th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits and related summits, which kicked off in the Lao capital city of Vientiane on Wednesday, prioritize stronger cooperation across the region under "the ASEAN Way," Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith said.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the summits, Thongloun said that ASEAN must continue upholding its common cause of peace, stability and sustainable development, adhere to multilateralism based on equality and mutual benefit, and further strengthen cooperation under "the ASEAN Way".

Cooperation guided by the "ASEAN Way," Thongloun said, resonates with the "unique characteristics of Southeast Asia with a shared goal of maintaining and promoting peace, stability and sustainable socio-economic development within the region and beyond."

Themed "ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience," the summits under Laos' ASEAN chairmanship this year focus on building a more integrated, connected and resilient ASEAN community to respond to various pressing challenges and seize opportunities in the interest of ASEAN peoples.

The three-day series of meetings will feature more than 20 major gatherings, including the 27th ASEAN-China Summit, the 27th ASEAN Plus Three Summit (ASEAN-China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) and the 19th East Asia Summit.

Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

ASEAN summits prioritize stronger cooperation in "ASEAN Way": Lao president

Robot chefs will soon be cooking meals for customers in Beijing after being granted the first food service license of its kind by the authorities, adding luster to the diversification and intelligence of the Chinese capital's catering industry.

EncoSmart, a local robotics startup, received this approval from the Beijing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation on Sept.12.

The company's Lava series robots will be deployed at catering kitchens across the city to prepare foods such as French fries and fried chicken.

The robots are empowered by state-of-the-art visual perception technology to recognize ingredients and calculate optimal cooking times, promising to deliver fast, consistent, and high-quality meals to customers. Their self-learning capabilities also allow them to adapt and expand their culinary skills over time.

The robot chefs are expected to not only reduce costs and improve efficiency, but also standardize food processing and meet diverse taste preferences of consumers.

City authorities have worked with EncoSmart to introduce new rules needed to regulate the robot work and ensure food safety and hygiene, and will take further steps to set a standard for the AI-powered catering industry.

Beijing grants first catering business license to robot chefs