NATIONAL
US tariff hikes, Myanmar war and sea disputes will top ASEAN summit agenda
PM Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at a media briefing in the government capital of Putrajaya, Malaysia, ahead of a series of summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, May 21, 2025.- AP Photo/Eileen Ng/Filepic
PUTRAJAYA: The civil war in Myanmar, maritime disputes in the South China Sea and U.S. tariff hikes will top the agenda of a two-day Southeast Asian summit next week, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
AI Brief
- ASEAN-GCC summit in Malaysia aims to boost trade ties, with leaders also engaging China and seeking balanced global partnerships.
- ASEAN nations hit by US tariffs are negotiating both individually and as a bloc while strengthening ties with China, India, and the EU.
- Anwar pushes for peace in Myanmar through humanitarian dialogue, despite ongoing conflict and ASEAN's limited influence over the junta.
The meeting in Malaysia, the current chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, on Monday will be followed by a summit on Tuesday with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The GCC already has strong links with the U.S. and “wants to be close to China too,” Anwar said. “We want to have that synergy to enhance trade investments, more effective collaboration,” Anwar said in a media briefing late Wednesday.
ASEAN countries, many which rely on exports to the U.S., have been hit by U.S. tariffs ranging from 10% to 49%. U.S. President Donald Trump last month announced a 90-day pause on the tariffs, prompting countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam to swiftly begin trade negotiations with Washington.
Anwar said the U.S. has promised to review Malaysia’s case “sympathetically.” He said ASEAN is also working together to see how it can negotiate with the U.S. as a bloc. At the same time, he said that ASEAN must build its economic resilience by deepening links with other partners such as China, India and the European Union.
Anwar said the U.S.-China rivalry would not split the bloc as the region continues to engage both superpowers. He also downplayed territorial disputes between ASEAN members and China in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety, and Myanmar’s conflict since the 2021 military takeover.
Anwar met last month with Myanmar military chief Gen. Ming Aung Hlaing in Bangkok and held virtual talks with the opposition National Unity Government. Even though the talks were focused on humanitarian aid following a devastating earthquake in March that killed more than 3,700 people, Anwar said he hopes they could eventually push a peace process forward.
Min Aung Hlaing has been barred from attending ASEAN meetings after the military refused to comply with ASEAN’s peace plan, which includes delivery of humanitarian aid and negotiations. Opponents and critics of the military government say aid is not freely allowed into areas not under the army’s control, and accuse the army of violating its self-declared ceasefire with dozens of airstrikes.
