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5 things to look out for as Trump jets in for Asean summit
Asean leaders will seek to extract trade and security commitments from Trump, whose unpredictable presence could liven up proceedings
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Malaysia is set to host one of the most consequential Asean summits ever as US President Donald Trump and a coterie of world leaders converge on Kuala Lumpur this weekend, bringing fresh urgency to talks on trade, security and the shifting global order.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, this year’s chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is expected to use the three-day summit starting on Sunday to ease tensions with Trump over trade imbalances, while also pursuing deals with other major economies to revive the region’s critical export sector as access to the US market continues to shrink.
Beyond trade, Southeast Asian nations – long reliant on US security guarantees – are now being forced to reassess their ties with a superpower seemingly intent on dismantling the very global order it once helped build.
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“The meeting places Southeast Asia at the centre of global attention. It underscores Asean’s growing importance as a strategic and economic hub connecting the East and the West,” John Low, Southeast Asia managing partner at global consultancy Roland Berger, told This Week in Asia.
Here are five things to watch out for:
01:51
Thai influencers blast ‘ghost sounds’ into Cambodia with army support
Thai influencers blast ‘ghost sounds’ into Cambodia with army support
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