Malaysia has invited United States (US) President Donald Trump to attend the 47th ASEAN Summit, which has garnered divisive responses from the public.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the current ASEAN chairman, has defended the decision, saying that Trump’s attendance, among other things would allow ASEAN leaders a chance to directly voice their views on the Palestinian issue.
Trump is willing to attend, but only on his terms
In a recent update, Trump said he’s open to attending the Southeast Asian leaders’ summit in Malaysia later this month, but only if he gets to highlight his peace efforts in the region.
According to Politico, the White House made his attendance at the ASEAN meeting (set for 26 to 28 October) conditional on Malaysia allowing Trump to lead a ceremonial signing of a peace deal between Cambodia and Thailand on the sidelines of the summit.
Trump’s demands have also put Malaysia in a tough spot as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim needs to tread carefully to avoid offending Trump, while also pursuing a trade deal aimed at reducing the 19% US tariff.
Anwar Ibrahim
He asked that Chinese officials be excluded from the event
In addition, the White House requested that Chinese officials be left out of the event, to keep the spotlight on Trump and downplay Beijing’s own mediation efforts between Bangkok and Phnom Penh.
The White House has denied claims that Trump’s attendance at the summit depends on the signing of a peace deal.
“The president is negotiating this peace agreement, but it was never made a condition for him to attend the summit,” said a senior administration official.
Donald Trump
The official also clarified that China has no involvement in the ongoing talks.
“The president is leading these peace negotiations himself. China hasn’t played any role in them,” the official added.
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