Category: ASEAN
The Inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit: Economic Aspirations Amid Strategic Ambiguity
BY Sufian Jusoh and Joanne Lin The ASEAN-GCC-China Economic Summit, set to take place in Kuala Lumpur on 27 May, under the Malaysian Chairmanship of ASEAN, marks a significant diplomatic first. It will bring together leaders from ASEAN, ...
ASEAN Eyes Closer China Trade Ties Ahead of Summit
Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said ahead of a high-stakes ASEAN summit set to open Monday in Kuala Lumpur, Southeast Asia’s 10-nation bloc is called to deepen trade ties with China and other partners as it faces sweeping U.S. tariffs. Prime ...
ASEAN’s Strategic Tightrope: Staying Non-Aligned Amid Rising U.S.-China Tensions
Chinese President Xi Jinping just concluded his visit to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia. Even though the visit took place while the world still struggles to understand and cope with President Donald Trump’s policies of imposing tariffs worldwide, it should not be narrowly understood as China’s response to ...
Malaysia’s PM Takes Veiled Swipe at U.S. ‘Economic Tribalism’ While Meeting Xi Jinping
Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim warned against "economic tribalism" in a veiled swing to Washington, praising Xi Jinping's conduct as a model of steadiness. Anwar delivered an emphatic endorsement of China’s global role on Wednesday in a speech brimming with ...
Outsiders Are Misreading the Significance of Xi’s SE Asian Tour, Says Chatham House Analyst
The fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia this week coincided with a dramatic escalation in the U.S. trade war with much of the world is probably coincidental. These kinds of state visits are planned months ...
Xi Jinping Courts ASEAN Centrality in Malaysia Visit as Trump’s Tariffs Shake the Region
President Xi Jinping declared on Tuesday on his state visit to Malaysia that China firmly supports ASEAN unity and centrality. He pledged deeper cooperation as regional economies brace for the ripple effects of a sharp escalation in U.S.-China trade tensions. ...
Xi Jinping’s Strategic Visit to Malaysia: Navigating U.S. Tariff and Hedging with ASEAN
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Malaysia today with a clear message in his newly published article in Malaysian media: as Washington doubles down on tariffs, trade barriers, and economic containment, Beijing is looking to deepen its alliances across Southeast Asia, with Malaysia now cast as an ...
ASEAN–China Code of Conduct Talks Continue With No Progress Amid Rising Tensions
Despite two decades of commitments, the South China Sea remains a diplomatic riptide. Last week's latest ASEAN–China talks in Manila sought to advance a long-stalled Code of Conduct, but there was no progress. However, progress remains elusive as regional ...
With Xi Jinping En Route to Malaysia, ASEAN Calls Special Summit to Discuss US Tariffs Pressure
Amid escalating trade tensions triggered by sweeping US tariffs, ASEAN will convene a Special Leaders’ Meeting following a call for unity by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim—just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to arrive in Malaysia for a state visit.
ASEAN Plans Joint Response to Trump’s Tariffs: It Won’t Work
Trump’s latest tariffs aren’t just an attack on Southeast Asia — they’re a calculated strike at China’s economic flank. Vietnam has a 46% tariff, Cambodia and Laos have 49% and 48%, and Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore have rates between ...
Thailand Maintains Neutral Stance Amid China-U.S. Rivalry, Urges Stronger ASEAN Ties
As China’s influence grows across Southeast Asia, Thailand is carefully treading a fine line, choosing not to side with either Beijing or Washington. At an event on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai explained that Thailand's foreign policy needs ...
China Slams Vietnam’s Construction on Disputed South China Sea Reef Amid Escalating Tensions
Fresh sparks are flying again over the South China Sea. China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday slammed Vietnam’s construction work on the Barque Canada Reef, a small islet in the contested Spratly Islands that Vietnam has occupied since the 1980s. ...



