ASEAN summit opens in Malaysia with call for unity against US tariff threats

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim opened the ASEAN Summit by urging regional unity against US tariff threats, praising the bloc’s resilience amid global challenges. China’s Premier Li Qiang reinforced trade ties with Indonesia en route, signalling Beijing’s deepening Asian engagement. Analysts highlighted ASEAN’s strategic gains from Middle Eastern partnerships, while Malaysia condemned Israel’s Gaza war as a failure of international law. The Gulf Cooperation Council joined trade talks, though Palestine dominated moral discussions. Myanmar’s crisis loomed large, with Malaysia seeking to leverage its ASEAN chairmanship to extend post-earthquake ceasefire efforts amid civil war. Delegates grappled with balancing economic pragmatism with humanitarian imperatives.

Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride reports from Kuala Lumpur.

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Post from Al Jazeera on May 26, 2025

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