Trump to attend Asean summit after call with Malaysia’s Anwar
Trump’s presence at the October summit will mark his first appearance at the diplomatic bloc’s key leaders’ meeting after years of no-shows
US President Donald Trump will attend the Asean summit in October, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday, marking the American leader’s first trip to the regional bloc’s key meeting since his return to office.
Trump confirmed his attendance at the 10-member regional bloc during a phone call early on Thursday morning, Anwar said, during which the US president also congratulated Malaysia for its role in brokering a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand over a border dispute.
The two leaders also discussed Trump’s incoming tariffs and free trade, Anwar said.
“After our discussions, he said he has decided to push back his tariff announcement to tomorrow, and he promised it will not be a burden to Malaysia’s economy,” Anwar told parliament.
“President Trump also confirmed that he will attend the Asean summit in October.”
It will mark the first time that Trump has been to an Asean leaders’ meeting, signalling a shift in policy after shunning the event during his first presidency, when he opted to send envoys in his place.
Trump’s most notable visit to Southeast Asia was in 2018, when Singapore hosted a summit between him and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, after the two leaders had exchanged threats of missile strikes on social media due to Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.
Thursday’s call was Anwar’s first direct interaction with Trump since the US president started his second term in January.
Asean members have been bracing for months for punitive tariffs that Washington is expected to implement from Friday, a move that Trump previously said was aimed at correcting trade imbalances with the US.
Economic growth in Southeast Asia has already taken a hit sincec Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcement on April 2, which left export-dependent businesses and governments in the region seeking clarity on his trade policy.
Malaysia’s central bank on Monday revised its 2025 growth forecast downwards to between 4 and 4.8 per cent from an earlier estimate of 4.5 to 5.5 per cent. The adjustment was made in anticipation of slower US demand affecting the output of Malaysian exports, even if the country secures a favourable tariff rate.
Malaysia aims to reduce its US tariff rate from 25 per cent, as announced by Trump in July, to below 20 per cent.
Earlier on Thursday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik announced that Washington had secured trade deals with Thailand and Cambodia, just days after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire following five days of deadly border skirmishes that killed at least 43 people.
Lutnik did not reveal details of the deals. In a July 7 letter to the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand, Trump announced a tariff rate of 36 per cent on both nations.
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The US leader had warned on Saturday that he would suspend negotiations with both countries if they did not stop the fighting.
This leaves only Malaysia and Indonesia – Southeast Asia’s largest economy – as the two remaining Asean members still actively negotiating with the United States for a trade agreement.
