Asean summit: Malaysia urges US to hold talks with bloc amid ‘deep concern’ about tariffs
Bloc also launches Kuala Lumpur Declaration – a blueprint to develop the region through to 2045 – as Anwar warns of ‘unsettled’ international order
Malaysia is nudging the United States to negotiate tariffs with Asean as a single trading bloc, as Southeast Asia’s leaders express “deep concern” over Washington’s unilateral levies that threaten to disrupt growth in their trade-reliant economies.
Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) converged on Kuala Lumpur on Monday for their two-day annual summit, focused on the potential economic crisis from US President Donald Trump’s tariffs but also to pressure Myanmar’s warring factions towards peace talks and resolve East Timor’s accession to the bloc.
It comes as growth across the region has taken a hit from Trump’s threatened tariffs, with levies of up to 49 per cent set to be imposed on member states unless they can make deals before a July deadline.
In his opening remarks at the summit, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim – this year’s Asean chair – said he had written to Trump “to seek his understanding to organise a US-Asean meeting, which shows we observe seriously the spirit of centrality”, without elaborating on dates.
Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said last week that Kuala Lumpur was still waiting for feedback from the US on when they could hold the meeting.