Trump arrives in Kuala Lumpur for ASEAN Summit, to witness Cambodia-Thailand peace deal

KUALA LUMPUR: United States President Donald Trump arrived in Malaysia on Sunday, the first stop of a nearly weeklong tour of Asia aimed at reinforcing Washington’s influence in the region.

Air Force One touched down at the Bunga Raya Complex of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at about 9.54 a.m. Trump was greeted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who chairs ASEAN in 2025, along with cabinet ministers and senior officials.

In Kuala Lumpur, Trump will be closely watched for clues on how he views Southeast Asia, a region actively courted by China. He will attend the 13th ASEAN–US Summit and the 20th East Asia Summit and is expected to witness the signing of a peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, whose brief border conflict in July was one of several disputes Trump has claimed credit for helping to resolve.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said his first order of business in Malaysia would be overseeing the peace agreement between the two countries.

“I am on my way to Malaysia, where I will sign the great Peace Deal, which I proudly brokered between Cambodia and Thailand. Sadly, the Queen Mother of Thailand has just passed away. I send my condolences to the Great People of Thailand. I will be seeing their wonderful Prime Minister when we land. In order to accommodate everyone for this major event, we will be signing the Peace Deal immediately upon arrival,” Trump wrote.

Wisma Putra said in a statement that Trump and Anwar are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting on 26 October.

“The two leaders are expected to discuss efforts to strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security, as well as people-to-people ties, in line with the Malaysia-US Comprehensive Partnership,” the ministry said.

“This visit is expected to further strengthen Malaysia-US relations and open a new chapter towards elevating the bilateral partnership to a more strategic level,” it added.

Malaysia and the United States have maintained diplomatic relations since 1957. The United States remains one of Malaysia’s largest trading partners and investors, with total trade amounting to RM324.91 billion (US$71.39 billion) in 2024.