The 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit officially opened on the 26th (local time) in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. The summit was attended by President Lee Jaemyung of South Korea, President Donald Trump of the United States, and newly appointed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, bringing together the leaders of South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is serving as this year's ASEAN Chair, stated in his opening speech, "As global conflicts intensify and uncertainty grows, not only is the economy under threat, but even our belief that division can be overcome through understanding and dialogue is being challenged." He emphasized, "We must remain united and respond flexibly to the rapidly changing environment."
On this day, ASEAN officially approved Timor-Leste as its 11th member state. Timor-Leste, which gained independence in 2002 as the most recent Southeast Asian nation to do so, successfully joined ASEAN 14 years after applying for membership in 2011. This ASEAN Summit, held under the theme of 'Inclusivity and Sustainability,' will continue until the 28th.
Particular attention was paid to President Trump's activities ahead of the anticipated U.S.-China summit. Positioning himself as a 'peacemaker,' President Trump presided over the signing ceremony for a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia on the morning of the 26th. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as the ASEAN Chair, signed the agreement. Thailand and Cambodia had experienced an armed clash in July due to a border dispute.
In addition, President Trump held bilateral meetings and signed agreements with several countries. On this day, he signed a trade agreement with Cambodia, a critical minerals cooperation agreement with Thailand, and both a trade agreement and a minerals-related agreement with Malaysia. He also announced that a broad agreement had been reached with Vietnam and that negotiations would be concluded within a few weeks. President Trump also met with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, with whom there has been friction over high tariffs.
Meanwhile, ahead of the U.S.-China summit scheduled to take place in Busan on the 30th, the United States and China continued high-level trade talks in Malaysia. Jamieson Greer, representative of the United States Trade Representative, told reporters after negotiations with the Chinese delegation that discussions included the extension of the trade truce and rare earth issues, stating, "I believe the leaders (of the U.S. and China) are reaching a stage where they can have a very productive summit."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
