[KUALA LUMPUR] Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will join his regional counterparts to attend the 46th Asean Summit that will be held in Kuala Lumpur on Monday (May 26) and Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement on Sunday evening.
The summit – hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim – takes place at a time of growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
The statement said that Asean leaders will discuss ways to “continue promoting a free, open and inclusive regional architecture” within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and with its external partners.
These talks come in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. South-east Asian countries are among the worst hit by these tariffs, with six of the 10 members in the bloc facing import levies ranging from 32 to 49 per cent once the 90-day pause lifts in July.
While the first of the two annual Asean summits is typically only attended by its member states, this week’s event will involve the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and China, with Chinese Premier Li Qiang expected to represent the latter.
The GCC members are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
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The summits involving external partners – the second Asean-GCC Summit and the first Asean-GCC-China Summit – will take place on Tuesday, where PM Wong and his counterparts are expected to discuss ways to expand Asean engagement with them.
These discussions come just a week after Trump’s tour of the Gulf region that culminated in investment commitments worth a total of US$1.4 trillion. On May 14, the US and China reached a trade truce after Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to roll back tariffs for a 90-day period.
On Monday, Asean leaders are expected to reaffirm their commitment to the bloc’s integration and community-building efforts, said the PMO statement.
They are also looking at strengthening Asean’s resilience by making intra-Asean trade “more seamless”, as well as tapping new growth areas like the digital and green economies.
At the end of the summit on Tuesday, the bloc’s leaders are expected to express “deep concern… over the imposition of unilateral tariff measures”, AFP reported based on a draft chairman’s statement it has seen.
It added that Trump’s measures “pose complex and multi-dimensional challenges to Asean’s economic growth, stability and integration”.
Under Malaysia’s chairmanship, PMO noted that the summit, themed “Inclusivity and Sustainability”, underlies the region’s “forward-looking agenda and priorities in building a united and resilient Asean amidst geopolitical and economic challenges”.
PM Wong, who is also finance minister, will be accompanied by his wife, and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. He is scheduled to touch down in the Malaysian capital on Sunday evening.
In the prime minister’s absence, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong will be the acting prime minister until Monday. Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam will take on the role on Tuesday.
This is PM Wong’s third visit to Malaysia since he was sworn in a year ago. His last visit was in January for a Leaders’ Retreat with PM Anwar in Putrajaya.
This is also PM Wong’s first overseas trip since he led the ruling People’s Action Party to secure an improved vote share at the May 3 general election.
