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Southeast Asian leaders began a two-day summit in Kuala Lumpur on Monday to work out trade deals with China and Gulf nations, as they face growing pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump’s new tariff hikes. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) brought together its ten member states in an attempt to protect their economies, just as Trump’s White House ramps up duties on exports from the region. According to information provided by Bloomberg, the talks are focused on getting ahead of the fallout caused by Trump’s latest tariff decisions. China sent Premier Li Qiang to lead its delegation. Gulf Cooperation Council countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates are also in the room. But not a single official from the U.S. or its Western allies showed up. China’s presence grows as U.S. skips meeting For Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, hosting this summit is about drawing in trade from nations sitting on big cash surpluses. With China warning other countries not to sign deals that might hurt its interests, Asean leaders are walking a thin line between two superpowers. “There is no substitute for the United States,” said Shahriman Lockman, an analyst at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia. “Yes, we talk about diversification and autonomy. But let’s not kid ourselves — there is no real alternative in sight.” Still, trade numbers show that the U.S. is already falling behind. China’s trade with Asean hit $982.3 billion in 2024, while the U.S. only managed $476.8 billion, most of it imports from the region. That gap is now at the center of every private conversation inside the summit hall. Recent visits by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia included pitches for what he called an “Asian family,” a…

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Filed under: News - @ May 26, 2025 12:12 am