KUALA LUMPUR: The bloc of Southeast Asian nations will host world leaders at a summit this weekend that will run alongside pivotal trade talks between the United States and China and serve as the first stop for US President Donald Trump’s swing through Asia. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations will press for trade multilateralism and deeper ties with new partners, while managing the fallout from Trump’s global tariff offensive at its annual meeting in Malaysia’s capital. Trump will be in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday to begin a five-day trip through Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, aimed at bolstering his diplomatic credentials, as US and Chinese officials work to avert a trade war escalation ahead of his planned meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping in South Korea next week.
WHO’S WHO AT ASEAN SUMMIT?
Leaders will gather on Sunday ahead of engagements with partners including Trump, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
“This represents a new strategic direction for Malaysia and ASEAN in expanding diplomatic and trade ties with other regions, including Africa and Latin America,” Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the summit’s host, said on Wednesday.
