Anwar Ibrahim opened the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, May 26, 2025, with a warning that “a transition in the geopolitical order is underway.” The talks ran into Tuesday, May 27, and by then the bloc had a good deal more to discuss than a routine agenda.
Malaysia chairs ASEAN this year, and Anwar put inclusion and sustainability at the center of its program. He said the themes reflect the bloc’s aspirations and obligations, resting on “equitable and sustainable growth and lasting resilience.” The ASEAN Community Vision 2045 was due to be launched at the summit. The leaders on hand included Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto, Cambodia’s Hun Manet, Vietnam’s Pham Minh Chinh, the Philippines’ Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Singapore’s Lawrence Wong and Thailand’s Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Timor-Leste’s Xanana Gusmao sat in as an observer.
Tariffs in the background
The guest list on Tuesday drew the most attention. Chinese Premier Li Qiang and representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a six-nation Gulf bloc, took part in the first meeting that paired ASEAN with both China and the GCC. The Business Times, citing AFP, tied the meeting to the shock of US tariffs announced in April, which Washington then paused for 90 days for most countries. Trade-dependent Southeast Asian economies wanted to spread their bets.
Anwar insisted the guest list was no move against Washington. Speaking to reporters, he described it as “ensuring ASEAN’s strategic relevance in a multipolar world.” Analysts were less sure Washington would see it that way. AFP saw a draft in which ASEAN would voice “deep concern” over unilateral tariffs, though the bloc had already said it would not hit back with duties of its own. Khoo Ying Hooi of the University of Malaya doubted ASEAN would formally back a pro-China stance. Anwar added that he had written to request an ASEAN-US summit this year.
What the numbers say
The stakes are large. ASEAN’s ten members together had a combined GDP of nearly $3.8 trillion in 2023, according to DW, and the Gulf states added about $2.1 trillion. The bloc’s population is roughly 690 million.
Sources
- Malaysia promotes inclusion and sustainability at 46th ASEAN summit (Prensa Latina)
- South-east Asian leaders meet China's Li and Gulf states to bolster ties (The Business Times)
- ASEAN summit invites China, Gulf states amid tariffs threat (DW)
