U.S. President Donald Trump on the 26th appeared at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) multilateral meeting as a sitting U.S. president for the first time in eight years since 2017. Trump will then meet new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on the 27th and fly to Korea on the 29th to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. At APEC, back-to-back bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Lee Jae-myung are scheduled. The schedule is so intense that it is even exploring a surprise meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
In 2023 and 2024, under the Joe Biden administration, the United States sent the vice president instead of the president to the summit, sparking controversy over "ASEAN passing (skipping)." The prevailing analysis is that Trump carved out time on the 26th to make a surprise appearance at the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this year because ASEAN's importance in the U.S. plan to counter China has grown that much.
The Guardian and Singapore's CNA said Trump made full use of his signature "showmanship" during this visit. As soon as he landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on the 26th, he shrugged his shoulders and danced to the music of the welcoming troupe with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. It was right after a 23-hour long-haul flight, but he did not look tired. Major outlets noted the unpretentious first impression Trump gave. Trump lavished praise on ASEAN leaders as "genius," "spectacular leaders," and said "everything they touch turns to gold." He made a sharp turn from the past "threatening" stance of imposing high tariff on ASEAN to a "cooperative" stance. It symbolically shows a shift in the U.S. strategic view of ASEAN.
Trump then seated Anwar in the presidential armored limousine "The Beast." Trump has also previously broken strict security protocols to have foreign leaders ride with him to show closeness. The two leaders did more than simply travel from the airport to the venue; they had one-on-one private time inside the limousine. Thai outlet PBS said, "The two leaders discussed a variety of global issues, including the Gaza peace question, inside the car." In effect, they held a private bilateral meeting in the symbolic space of the limousine. Anwar responded, saying, "It's okay to break the rules. I was happy that (President Trump) broke (security) rules," calling it "a delightful experience."
After building rapport in the limousine, the two leaders soon showed their relationship with unreserved jokes. When Anwar said to Trump at the Thailand-Cambodia peace signing ceremony, "I was in prison, and you almost got there," the hall quickly burst into laughter. It was a somewhat edgy remark comparing his own past imprisonment on corruption allegations and Trump's situation after a 2024 guilty verdict on 34 felony counts over "hush money" related to a sex scandal. The Straits Times reported, "Throughout Trump's visit, the mood was chummy, celebratory, and cooperative."
During the 2 Days & 1 Night itinerary, Trump presided over the signing of the "Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord" to end the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute. This dispute is the oldest conflict in the ASEAN region, lasting nearly 1,000 years over sovereignty of the 11th-century temple "Preah Vihear." In 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled the temple to be Cambodian territory, but disputes over surrounding land continued. In July, clashes between the two countries escalated into the worst-case scenario, leaving more than 40 dead and 300,000 displaced. Some viewed the signing as a stepping stone for a Nobel Prize, but local experts said it mediated peace as an example between Thailand and Cambodia, where hostility is most deeply rooted in ASEAN, thereby strengthening a sense of partnership in the region. The White House also called it a "historic peace agreement." Thailand said Trump opened a "pathway to peace."
On this tour, Trump secured the "critical minerals" supply chain. As China tightens export controls on strategic resources such as rare earths, the United States urgently needed to diversify supply chains. Malaysia hosts the world's largest rare earth processing facility outside China, operated by the Australian company Lynas. The Nikkei said, "With this Trump tour as a catalyst, Malaysia has formed a partnership with U.S. corporations," adding, "It will accelerate development in the critical minerals and rare earth institutional sector, and pledged not to restrict sales of rare-earth magnets." The United States also agreed on critical minerals transactions with Thailand.
In return, Trump eased tariff burdens on ASEAN countries. In late August, the United States imposed a high reciprocal tariff of 19% on Malaysian exports. According to The Straits Times, under the new deal Malaysia secured "zero (0) grade" tariff on its key exports to the United States, including semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. The United States gained access to critical minerals, and Malaysia concluded a transaction lowering tariff barriers. In addition, the United States reached a trade agreement with Cambodia and agreed to trade frameworks with Vietnam and Thailand.
ASEAN is a huge market with a population close to 700 million and supports more than 600,000 U.S. jobs through exports to the United States. But recent economic performance has been sluggish. According to Bloomberg, the MSCI ASEAN Index has risen only 10% so far this year, lagging far behind the 29% rise in the overall Emerging Market index. Investment funds saw net outflows in 11 of the past 12 months. Funds that have flowed out this month alone amount to $900 million.
The BBC said ASEAN, long criticized as "toothless," had its biggest moment in the sun with this visit, adding it proved that despite many flaws, ASEAN still has room to be valued. The analysis is that Trump took "cause (peace mediation)" and "practical gains (critical minerals)," while ASEAN took "status (presidential attendance)." Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said, "The United States remains essential to peace, stability, and prosperity in Southeast Asia," adding, "Sustained U.S. action and leadership will make Southeast Asia prosper."