Malaysia calls for stronger ASEAN unity due to US tariffs

Malaysia’s foreign minister urged Southeast Asian nations to fast-track regional economic integration and stand united in the face of sweeping US tariffs that have disrupted global trade.

Speaking at a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers, Mohamad Hasan warned that the US–China trade war was causing serious shocks to production and global markets.

“ASEAN nations are among those most heavily affected by the US-imposed tariffs,” Mohamad said. “We must seize this moment to deepen regional economic integration so that we can better shield our region from external shocks.”

Tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration — ranging from 10% to 49% — have hit six of ASEAN’s 10 members the hardest, officials said. The fallout could undermine ASEAN’s 2025 growth forecast of 4.7%.

Mohamad said ASEAN is seeking a special summit with the US to discuss trade issues as a bloc, and hopes the meeting can be held later this year. He confirmed that several countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, began trade talks with Washington after Trump paused the tariffs for 90 days last month.

Turning to regional security, Mohamad said the conflict in Myanmar has become an “ASEAN issue” with growing cross-border consequences, including rising refugee flows and transnational crimes. He dismissed Myanmar’s plan to hold elections this year as a “whitewash” and said no vote should take place until violence ends.

“Elections with partial participation will be meaningless,” he said, noting that many opposition groups are banned or boycotting the polls, and that the military has lost control over large parts of the country.

ASEAN plans to appoint a permanent envoy to Myanmar with a three-year mandate to engage with all sides and push for peace talks. Mohamad said he would travel to Myanmar in June to advance those efforts.

The minister also confirmed that ASEAN is exploring dialogue partnership with Ukraine and aims to speed up East Timor’s membership, which would expand the bloc to 11 members.

ASEAN leaders are scheduled to meet Monday for their annual summit, followed by a joint meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council on Tuesday. Climate change, artificial intelligence threats, and great power rivalries are also expected to be key agenda points.

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