MANILA: Australia’s foreign minister crooned “What the World Needs Now is Love”, his Japanese counterpart took to the stage dressed as a samurai warrior and the Chinese delegation danced.

But the Americans took the easy route, getting professional Filipino singers to represent them in a closed-door cabaret held on Wednesday night on the eve of Asia-Pacific’s biggest security meeting, held this year in Manila, participants said.

The Japanese toned it down from last year’s performance about a pandemic of giant furry frogs, sending their delegates out instead in jogging pants for a skit about “Taro’s Boot Camp”, named for their foreign minister.

Taro Aso rounded off their show, which also featured a sumo wrestling loincloth, appearing in warrior garb and face paint.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov parodied the plethora of meetings held at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations annual security meeting, wondering why he had to attend something that was all, “blah, blah, blah”.

Conscious of the Philippines’ love of schmaltz, Canada’s deputy foreign minister, Leonard Edwards, sang compatriot Celine Dion’s hit “My Heart Will Go On”, while New Zealand, led by their foreign minister Winston Peters, upped the tribal beat with a Maori dance.

Australia played to the regional crowd with foreign minister Alexander Downer substituting the lyrics of the love song to say, “What the World Needs Now is Asean and Free Trade.”

The Chinese delegation came on as a dance troupe in traditional costume.—Reuters