Malaysia’s Anwar writes to Trump seeking summit with South-east Asia
The prime minister notes that recent global developments, including the US tariffs, underscore the urgency for Asean to reinforce its centrality
[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he has written a letter to United States President Donald Trump to request for a meeting between the US and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) over Washington’s trade policies.
Anwar, who was speaking at the opening of the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Monday (May 26), did not disclose further details on the potential date or venue for this meeting.
He said he wrote the letter to Trump as part of the consensus achieved by foreign ministers earlier this year.
“A transition in the geopolitical order is underway and the global trading system is under further strain, with the recent imposition of US unilateral tariffs,” said Anwar in his remarks to fellow Asean leaders. “Protectionism is resurging as we bear witness to multilateralism breaking apart at the seams.”
Anwar said that the bloc must respond decisively to shifting global dynamics, including the recent imposition of unilateral tariffs by the US.
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.
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Anwar said that recent global developments, including the US tariffs, underscore the urgency for Asean to reinforce its centrality.
He noted the bloc’s swift formation of the Asean Geo-economics Task Force to coordinate responses to rising trade barriers, calling it “a necessary step” to project unity and confidence.
Kuala Lumpur Declaration
During the summit, South-east Asian leaders signed the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Asean 2045 – a landmark document that sets out the region’s long-term vision to become a resilient, innovative and inclusive economic community by 2045.
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The declaration, adopted at the 46th Asean Summit in Malaysia, marks a major step forward in regional integration efforts and will replace the Asean 2025: Forging Ahead Together blueprint launched a decade ago, also under Malaysia’s chairmanship.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Anwar said the declaration will serve as a new roadmap to transform Asean into a resilient, innovative, dynamic and people-centred community.
“Our ability to lead – in artificial intelligence, digital innovation and the green and blue economies – will determine not just our prosperity, but our cohesion.”
Although the details of the declaration were not disclosed, it is understood to include strategic documents aligned with Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship priorities, with a strong emphasis on managing the disruptive forces of geopolitics, technology and climate change.
Quiet diplomacy on Myanmar crisis
On the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, Anwar highlighted cautious progress through quiet diplomacy, including the formation of an informal advisory group under Malaysia’s chairmanship.
Led by Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the group has already met several times, with support from regional leaders including Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Cambodia’s former prime minister Hun Sen.
“We have been able to move the needle forward in our efforts for the eventual resolution of the Myanmar crisis,” said Anwar.
“I wish to stress that throughout this process, quiet engagement has mattered. The steps may be small and the bridge may be fragile but as they say, in matters of peace, even a fragile bridge is better than a widening gulf.”
He reiterated that Asean’s peace and prosperity depend on an open, inclusive and rules-based international system, founded on the free movement of trade, capital and people — values now threatened by unilateral actions and geopolitical rivalries.
Despite these threats, Anwar expressed confidence in Asean’s ability to maintain its relevance by strengthening regional cooperation and expanding partnerships.
He pointed to the inaugural Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council-China Summit as a sign of the bloc’s growing geo-economic influence and diplomatic maturity.
“This trilateral summit symbolises the power of cohesiveness among regional blocs. It reflects a successful reshaping of global partnerships in today’s multipolar world,” he added.
This week’s Asean summit is the first of two to be held by Malaysia this year, with the second set to take place in October.
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