Trump to arrive in Malaysia ahead of ASEAN summit amid tariff tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to land in Malaysia on Sunday for the ASEAN and East Asia Summits, with Washington and Beijing racing to cool a spiraling trade fight as working-level talks continue in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysian officials say Trump will hold a bilateral with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim before joining leaders’ sessions and a string of side meetings focused on supply chains, semiconductors, and market access.

Senior U.S. and Chinese negotiators met in Kuala Lumpur this weekend to pave the way for a potential Trump–Xi encounter on the summit sidelines, part of a push to de-escalate tariff threats that have rattled regional exporters.

Malaysia, chairing ASEAN this year, has flagged sector-specific tariffs, including autos, chips, and pharmaceuticals, as top concerns and plans to press the U.S. to soften proposed measures that member states warn could hit jobs and investment across Southeast Asia.

The summit, scheduled for Oct. 26–28, will gather ASEAN leaders and key partners amid an agenda dominated by trade frictions, South China Sea tensions, and the crisis in Myanmar.

Diplomats also expect fanfare around Timor-Leste’s formal admission as ASEAN’s 11th member, a milestone that underscores the bloc’s expanding role. Tight security and small protests are anticipated around the venues as delegations shuttle between ministerial, leaders’, and business forums.

Regional businesses are watching for signals that Washington and Beijing can sketch a path toward tariff relief or exemptions for strategic sectors, while governments seek assurances that new U.S. measures will not penalize ASEAN economies integrated into global tech and medical-supply chains.

For Malaysia, the host is positioning itself as a bridge between major powers, banking on deal-making in Kuala Lumpur to ease trade uncertainty and attract fresh investment.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Reuters, DW, Malay Mail, AP News