US President Donald Trump will attend the 49th ASEAN-related summit in Manila on Nov. 16-18 to demonstrate continued US support for the bloc, which is projected to become the world’s fourth-largest economy within the next five years, according to diplomatic sources familiar with the matter.
The sources, who requested anonymity, said the Philippines, as ASEAN chair, recently rescheduled the summits from November 11-13 to November 16-18 following lengthy negotiations over Trump’s participation.
The change was made to accommodate his schedule. After attending the ASEAN-related summit, Trump is expected to travel to Shenzhen, China, for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on November 17-18.
Each year, the ASEAN chair faces the challenge of securing the participation of the US president, one of the world’s most influential leaders, in the bloc’s annual summit.
Last year, Trump decided early to visit Kuala Lumpur, where he was due to witness the signing of the Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire agreement in October.
Malaysia’s then-ASEAN chair, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, had assured him that the opportunity would be available.
According to the sources, the ASEAN Economic Community Strategic Plan 2026-2030 projects that ASEAN’s single market, with a population of around 700 million, will become the world’s fourth-largest economy.
During his first term, Trump attended an ASEAN summit only once, when the Philippines hosted the gathering in 2017.
He left before the summit concluded to return to Washington. He subsequently sent officials below Cabinet level to represent the United States at other ASEAN summits, including the 2019 summit hosted by Thailand.
Amid the US-Iran conflict, ASEAN members have been working to mitigate oil-price shocks and other economic repercussions.
The crisis has underscored the importance of regional solidarity and cooperation as member states confront shared energy-security and economic challenges, the sources added.
