Asean Summit: Trump’s KL visit puts South-east Asia’s neutrality to the test

[KUALA LUMPUR] With US President Donald Trump confirming his attendance at the upcoming 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur, he arrives at a moment of delicate balance for South-east Asia and for America’s standing in a region increasingly defined by rivalry, realignment and rising uncertainty.

Trump’s three-day visit from Sunday (Oct 26) to Tuesday comes as regional leaders gather under the theme “Inclusion and Sustainability”.

Held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre beside the Petronas Twin Towers, the summit is expected to draw over 12,000 delegates, making it one of the largest in Asean’s history and a crucial test of the bloc’s ability to turn consensus into action.