China’s Xi likely to skip October ASEAN leaders’ summit
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to miss the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ summit in Kuala Lumpur this October, according to two regional sources familiar with the matter.
The announcement dims expectations of a potential face-to-face meeting between Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump, who is also scheduled to attend the summit. Earlier this month, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had indicated that both leaders would be present, fueling speculation about a possible encounter amid ongoing trade negotiations, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Instead, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who previously represented China at an ASEAN summit with Gulf leaders in May, is expected to attend on Xi’s behalf. Both sources declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.
When asked about Xi’s attendance, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated:
"China has always attached importance to China-ASEAN relations and East Asian cooperation. We do not have any information to provide on your specific question."
Anwar had previously told the Malaysian parliament that Trump confirmed his attendance in a phone call with the U.S. leader. Trump also indicated earlier this month that he plans to meet Xi before year-end if a trade agreement is finalized, saying that the deal is “very close.” Aides from both sides have discussed a potential autumn meeting in Asia around the APEC summit in South Korea (October 30–November 1).
The ASEAN summit will mark Trump’s first trip to Southeast Asia since his 2019 meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi. Attendance by Chinese presidents at ASEAN summits is uncommon; Xi has joined only one special summit virtually since taking office in 2012. U.S. presidents have also rarely attended in person.
This year’s summit is expected to be ASEAN’s largest and most high-profile gathering of world leaders to date, with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also slated to attend.
Meanwhile, Washington and Beijing recently extended a tariff truce for another 90 days, preventing new duties while negotiations continue over trade imbalances, market access, and rare earth exports. Southeast Asian economies, heavily reliant on exports and manufacturing, have been impacted by the U.S.’s global tariff strategy, although the latest duties imposed were significantly lower than initially threatened.
Similar news
