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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NATO Chief Mark Rutte repeated on Tuesday that the consensus needed for Ukraine to join the alliance is not there at the moment.
Belgian police have raided the EU's diplomatic service (EEAS) in Brussels and a training college, the College of Europe in Bruges.
A four-part docuseries executive produced by Curtis '50 cent' Jackson and directed by Alexandria Stapleton on Netflix is at the centre of controversy online.
Canberra has issued a stark assessment of the changing security landscape in the Pacific, warning that Beijing is projecting force deeper into the region with diminishing transparency, complicating the delicate balance of power in the Southern Hemisphere.
Security concerns across Central Asia have intensified rapidly after officials in Dushanbe reported a series of lethal incursions originating from Afghan soil, marking a significant escalation in border violence.
A four-part docuseries executive produced by Curtis '50 cent' Jackson and directed by Alexandria Stapleton on Netflix is at the centre of controversy online.
Moscow and Kyiv painted very different pictures of the battlefield on Sunday, each insisting momentum was on their side as the fighting around Pokrovsk intensified.
Russia has claimed a decisive breakthrough in the nearly four-year war, with the Kremlin announcing the total capture of the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk just hours before United States mediators were due to arrive in Moscow.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he had spoken with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but did not provide details on what the two leaders discussed.
NATO Chief Mark Rutte repeated on Tuesday that the consensus needed for Ukraine to join the alliance is not there at the moment.
Belgian police have raided the EU's diplomatic service (EEAS) in Brussels and a training college, the College of Europe in Bruges.
Canberra has issued a stark assessment of the changing security landscape in the Pacific, warning that Beijing is projecting force deeper into the region with diminishing transparency, complicating the delicate balance of power in the Southern Hemisphere.
A Russian-flagged tanker en route to Georgia reported an attack off Türkiye’s coast, with its 13 crew unharmed, according to the country’s maritime authority.
The fate of the world’s largest nuclear power station hangs in the balance this month as local lawmakers in Japan decide whether to authorise a controversial restart, a move that would mark a significant pivot in the nation’s post-Fukushima energy policy.
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