In the news dated October 27, 2025, President Trump of the United States departed from Malaysia to Japan on Monday after attending the 47th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit. This marked the beginning of the second leg of his Asian tour. Leaders from various countries continued discussions in Kuala Lumpur on how to strengthen economic and trade relations.
The Chinese officials are expected to emphasize multilateralism in trade, seeking to consolidate regional cooperation networks under the shadow of high U.S. tariffs.
During his five-day visit to Asia, Trump’s first stop was in Malaysia on October 26, where he attended the ASEAN Summit series of meetings in Kuala Lumpur. He also witnessed Cambodia and Thailand signing an expanded version of a ceasefire agreement, and signed regional trade agreements with four countries.
According to information provided by the White House, Trump’s Asia tour includes visits to Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea. During his visit to South Korea, he will not only attend activities related to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) but also hold a bilateral meeting with Xi Jinping.
On Monday, Trump, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, boarded Air Force One to Japan for the visit, while other U.S. officials will continue to participate in the summit after Rubio’s departure.
Leaders from around the world continued with the ASEAN Summit agenda in Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile, high-level Chinese officials seized the opportunity to engage in intensive diplomacy with leaders from Brazil, Canada, the European Union, and 11 ASEAN countries. Chinese officials are expected to emphasize trade multilateralism.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, speaking at the “ASEAN Plus Three” meeting, called on all parties to “adhere to free trade and multilateralism, and oppose all forms of protectionism,” emphasizing the need to jointly uphold the hard-won peace and stability in East Asia. This statement is seen as an indirect response to the U.S. imposition of tariffs.
Additionally, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit is also being held in Malaysia. This is the first leadership summit since the RCEP came into effect in 2020, urging for expedited inclusion of new members and deepening economic integration.
Initiated by the 10 ASEAN countries, the RCEP invited China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, countries with which it has free trade agreements, and was officially signed on November 15, 2020, during the East Asia Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting. It came into effect in January 2022.
Covering approximately 30% of global GDP and total trade volume, the agreement is praised as the world’s largest trading bloc. Some analysts view the RCEP as a potential buffer mechanism against U.S. tariff pressures.
Malaysia’s current Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry, Tengku Zafrul Aziz, stated that the meeting allows member countries to propose improvements to the RCEP agreement and consider requests for accession from some countries.
China, as the largest economy among the RCEP participating countries, and with the aim of forming an international community of common interests, is actively promoting the RCEP. However, Aziz stated that given the support for multilateralism from both ASEAN and RCEP member countries, he is not concerned about the meeting being “hijacked” by China.
Moreover, China faces multiple concerns regarding regional economic, trade, and security issues. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. criticized Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea, stating that they “threaten the safety of Filipino personnel and damage freedom of navigation.”
European Council President Antonio Costa expressed strong concerns to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang about Beijing’s recent expansion of export controls on critical raw materials. He urged China to quickly restore “smooth, reliable, and predictable supply chains” and requested Chinese assistance in helping to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Rare-earth magnets and minerals are one of the focal points of trade disputes between China and the West. China controls approximately 90% of global rare-earth supply and views rare earths as an important lever to counter U.S. tariffs in the trade war.
In addition to discussing the U.S.-China tariff dispute, the summit also focused on regional integration and supply chain security. Current members of ASEAN include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
(Information sourced and adapted from Reuters)