Asean navigates crisis, expansion, and power rivalry at Kuala Lumpur meetings
Published on: Thu, Jul 17, 2025
By: Lynelle Tham, Danish Raja Reza Text Size: Asean foreign ministers met for four days in Kuala Lumpur last week to discuss regional issues. Kuala Lumpur: The 58th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting and its related sessions wrapped up with Southeast Asian countries projecting cautious unity as they face rising geopolitical tensions, economic challenges, and the prolonged Myanmar crisis. Foreign ministers from the 10 Asean countries met with counterparts from major partners, including the US, China and Japan, to discuss key regional issues, including maritime security to trade and political cooperation.
Advertisement Here are the key takeaways from the four-day event. Myanmar crisis a high priority Myanmar remained high on the agenda as Asean tried to make further headway on the five-point consensus (5PC), a peace plan agreed in 2021 after the junta seized power in a coup. In a joint statement, the ministers expressed 'deep concern over the escalation of conflicts and the humanitarian situation in Myanmar', and reiterated the 5PC as a core framework for engagement. Foreign minister Mohamad Hasan said he planned to visit Naypyidaw in late September or October, where he would present a 'wish list' compiled after consultation with various stakeholders, including the opposition National Unity Government (NUG). 'The majority of them want the release of political prisoners, a ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian aid,' he said at a press conference at the end of the meetings. Mohamad also said that holding elections in Myanmar should not take precedence over meeting the conditions of the 5PC. 'Holding an election just to say, 'Look, we had an election, so we're already a democratic government', is not right,' he said. Timor-Leste's accession still on the cards Despite reported objections from Myanmar's junta, Asean reaffirmed that it would admit Timor-Leste as its 11th member during the October summit. 'We reaffirmed Asean's commitment to an inclusive and sustainable regional community by supporting Timor-Leste's full membership,' it said, citing Dili's active observer role and its willingness to accede to all Asean treaties and agreements. The junta is said to have formally opposed Dili's entry, accusing it of violating Asean's non-interference principle by engaging with the NUG. But Asean secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn dismissed concerns, saying Myanmar and Timor-Leste had been 'sitting down together' and 'sorting out their differences'. Tariffs cast shadow Trade issues took centre stage after US president Donald Trump announced new tariffs on Southeast Asian exports. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned against a growing trend of weaponising trade tools, and called for deeper alignment between Asean's economic and foreign policy arms. US secretary of state Marco Rubio, who was here on his maiden visit, said some Southeast Asian countries could end up with tariffs 'better than those in other parts of the world'. Some countries have already seen results: Vietnam secured a tariff cut from 46% to 20% following direct talks with the US, while Cambodia saw rates drop from 49% to 36%. Mohamad said the meetings provided a platform for Asean countries to raise concerns about the US tariffs through individual bilateral discussions. Although Asean declared in April that it would adopt a unified approach to the tariffs, Mohamad said Washington made its preference clear: 'They don't want to (negotiate) with a bloc. They want to do it (bilaterally)'. Big powers at play The summit also underscored Asean's delicate dance with the world's major powers, as the US, China and Russia all used the Kuala Lumpur platform to reassert influence and test diplomatic ground. Rubio hinted that Trump might attend the Asean Summit in October and confirmed that talks were ongoing for a possible US-Asean summit, proposed by Malaysia. China, the primary target of Trump's tariffs, was represented by foreign minister Wang Yi. While tensions lingered, both sides used the Kuala Lumpur meetings as a platform for quiet diplomacy. Rubio described talks with his Chinese counterpart as 'positive', and offered similar remarks after meeting Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Mohamad said Malaysia, as a trading nation, must maintain a careful balance between major powers and avoid taking sides. 'The US is the largest investor in our country, and China has been our biggest trading partner for many years,' he said. 'We have to navigate our foreign policy, and even Asean's, in a way that ensures we're not seen as leaning towards any one side.' * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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