Latest news with #ASEANForeignMinisters
The Standard
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Standard
China, ASEAN to submit upgraded free trade deal to leaders in October, says China's foreign minister
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks to the media as he walks between meetings during the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting and related meetings at the Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur on July 11, 2025. MANDEL NGAN/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Asean must deepen integration amid US tariffs and global uncertainty, Singapore foreign minister tells regional colleagues
SINGAPORE, July 12 — ASEAN must double down on its integration against the backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty and US tariffs, said Singapore Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. He said the grouping must ensure that it truly removes every tariff and non-tariff barriers, and optimises its competitive position. 'Because that is under our control. That is a path of no regret, and I would say the urgency and the salience of doing it now, it is so much more obvious,' he told the media on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) and related meetings in Kuala Lumpur. The transcript of the doorstop interview was shared by Singapore's Foreign Ministry (MFA). Balakrishnan said the focus of the meetings in Kuala Lumpur was to increase resilience within ASEAN amid uncertainty, volatility, and economic challenges by deepening ASEAN integration and strengthening external relations with its partners. 'In a way, you can think of this as an attempt to increase resilience by increasing the stability of ASEAN's economic ties across the world,' he said. The minister noted that he was pleasantly surprised at the very high attendance at senior levels from the external partners, which is a good reflection of ASEAN's convening ability. Meanwhile, Balakrishnan noted that the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) and the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link could serve as positive models for future bilateral or multilateral integration within ASEAN. 'From an ASEAN perspective, this (JS-SEZ) also may have relevant lessons for how to do cross-border collaboration that provides competitive advantage by pooling complementary strengths,' he said. On the Thailand-Cambodia border issue, Balakrishnan said both parties need time and secure, quiet channels to allow diplomacy to work in resolving the issue. He added that, in his personal experience, it has never been effective to resolve difficult and sensitive issues through excessive publicity or public responses via media conferences or social media. 'I am not in a position to reveal the sensitive nature of the discussions which went on here, but I would make this point. It calls for quiet, discreet, constructive, effective diplomacy. 'Based on my interactions with all of them and my fellow colleagues in ASEAN, everyone hopes for an amicable resolution,' he said, adding that it is very unfortunate that the dispute has led to loss of life. Thailand-Cambodia diplomatic relations was strained following the May 28 brief exchange of gunfire between soldiers of both countries stationed near the Preah Vihear province in northern Cambodia, killing one soldier. — Bernama
Japan Today
4 days ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Rubio meets China's Wang amid trade tensions, says good chance of Trump-Xi talks
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers? meeting and related meetings at the Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur on July 11, 2025. MANDEL NGAN/Pool via REUTERS By Daphne Psaledakis and Danial Azhar U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday he had "positive and constructive" talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as the two major powers vied to push their agendas in Asia at a time of tension over Washington's tariff offensive. The top U.S. diplomat was in Malaysia on his first Asia trip since taking office, seeking to stress the U.S. commitment to the region at the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum, where many countries were reeling from a raft of steep U.S. tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump this week. Rubio had his first in-person talks with China's foreign minister, which came after Beijing warned Washington against reinstating hefty levies on its goods next month and threatened retaliation against nations that strike deals with the U.S. to cut China out of supply chains. Wang sharply criticised Washington during talks with Asian counterparts in Malaysia, calling the U.S. tariffs "typical unilateral bullying behavior". But both sides described their bilateral meeting as positive and constructive on Friday. And Rubio said the odds of Trump meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping were high. "We're two big, powerful countries, and there are always going to be issues that we disagree on. I think there's some areas of potential cooperation and I thought it was a very constructive, positive meeting, and a lot of work to do," he told reporters. Rubio emphasised that his sit-down with Wang was not a negotiation, but rather about establishing a constructive baseline to continue talks. Rubio noted Trump had been invited to visit China, and added: "It's a visit he wants to undertake, and so we'll work on finding the right date for that, but I'm sure it'll happen because the president – both presidents - want it to happen." "We have to build the right atmosphere and build ... deliverables, so that a visit isn't just a visit, but it actually has some takeaways from it that are concrete," he said. China's Foreign Ministry said Wang had emphasised that both countries should translate consensus reached by their leaders into policies and actions. "Both sides agreed that the meeting was positive, pragmatic and constructive," it said. TRIP OVERSHADOWED BY TARIFFS Rubio's visit was part of an effort to renew U.S. focus on the Indo-Pacific region and look beyond conflicts in the Middle East and Europe that have consumed much of the administration's attention since Trump's return to office in January. But this was overshadowed by this week's announcement of steep U.S. tariffs on imports from many Asian countries and U.S. allies, including 25% targeting Japan, South Korea and Malaysia, 32% for Indonesia, 36% for Thailand and Cambodia and 40% on goods from Myanmar and Laos. China, initially singled out with levies exceeding 100%, has until August 12 to reach a deal with Washington to avoid Trump's reinstating additional import curbs imposed during tit-for-tat tariff exchanges in April and May. Analysts said Rubio would use the trip to press the case that the United States remains a better partner than China, Washington's main strategic rival. Rubio met his counterparts from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia on Friday. Southeast Asia expert Murray Hiebert, from Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said it was positive Rubio had made his first Indo-Pacific trip, but his pledge about U.S. engagement was undercut by Trump's treatment of key friends and partners on tariffs. "This made it much easier for Wang Yi to talk about China's stable and reliable economic relations," he said. Wang rebuked the United States in Kuala Lumpur, saying no country should support or agree with its tariffs, according to remarks released by Beijing on Friday. He told Thailand's foreign minister the tariffs had been abused and "undermined the free trade system, and interfered with the stability of the global production and supply chain." During a meeting with his Cambodian counterpart, Wang said the U.S. levies were an attempt to deprive Southeast Asian countries of their legitimate right to development. "We believe that Southeast Asian countries have the ability to cope with complex situations, adhere to principled positions, and safeguard their own interests," he said. In a joint communique, ASEAN foreign ministers expressed concern over rising global trade tensions and called for a transparent and fair multilateral trading system. Without mentioning the United States, they said unilateral tariffs were "counterproductive and risk exacerbating global economic fragmentation". INDISPENSABLE PARTNERSHIP Rubio also met Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday and said he and Lavrov shared some ideas on a new or different Russian approach on Ukraine. "I don't want to oversell it, OK, but it was constructive," he said on Friday. "We'll find out, but there are some things that we will potentially explore, and I relayed that to the president and our team last night." Rubio also met Japan's foreign minister and South Korea's first vice foreign minister to discuss strengthening their "indispensable trilateral partnership", the U.S. State Department said. Asked about Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's remarks on Thursday that Tokyo needs to wean itself off of its dependence on Washington, Rubio said it was not a comment to be viewed negatively. "We obviously have very strong commitments and an alliance with Japan. We continue to cooperate very closely with them," he said. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
US, China hold ‘positive' talks in Malaysia during ASEAN meeting
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers? meeting and related meetings at the Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur on July 11, 2025. PHOTO:REUTERS Listen to article US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi had a "positive" meeting in Malaysia on Friday, both sides said, in an apparent bid to ease tensions between the rival powers. Rubio and Wang's first face-to-face meeting since US President Donald Trump returned to office came as Washington and Beijing are locked in disputes ranging from trade to Taiwan – and both countries vie for greater influence in the region. "I thought it was a very constructive and positive meeting," Rubio told reporters after the hour-long talks in capital Kuala Lumpur, but he stressed: "It was not a negotiation." "I think we left it feeling as there's some areas we're gonna be able to work together on." Rubio was also optimistic that a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping would happen. "There's a strong desire on both sides to do it," Rubio said, adding no date was set. Read More:Trump slaps extra 10% tariffs on BRICS nations Beijing said in a statement "both sides agreed that the meeting was positive, pragmatic and constructive". Both countries agreed to "enhance communication and dialogue through diplomatic channels... and explore expanding cooperation areas while managing differences," China's foreign ministry said. The sit-down between Wang and Rubio, a longtime China hawk, came as Asian foreign ministers wrapped up three days of talks at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering in Kuala Lumpur. Top diplomats from Russia, the European Union, Australia, Britain and Canada also attended. US officials said ahead of Rubio's first trip to the region as secretary of state that Washington was "prioritising" its commitment to East and Southeast Asia. While US tariffs overshadowed the gathering, Rubio said he was "warmly received" by Asian partners as he sought to placate concerns over the duties. "If you look at some of these trade deficits, they're massive. That has to be addressed," Rubio said at the end of his whirlwind trip. "Everybody here is a mature leader who understands that that's not sustainable." Trump has threatened punitive tariffs ranging from 20 to 50 percent against more than 20 countries, many in Asia, if they do not strike deals with Washington by August 1. ASEAN described the tariffs as "counterproductive" and a threat to regional growth, according to a joint statement released Friday. Long-time US ally Japan faces a 25 percent across-the-board levy, separate from similar charges already imposed on cars, steel and aluminium. South Korea faces a similar tariff. Rubio met his Japanese and South Korean counterparts on Friday, with his spokeswoman Tammy Bruce calling it an "indispensable relationship". Wang told Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim earlier Friday that Washington's "unilateral imposition of high tariffs is irresponsible and unpopular," according to a foreign ministry statement. Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan told a closing news conference the ASEAN meeting mentioned "each country's concerns respectively" regarding tariffs. Read More:Dar meets world leaders on sidelines of ASEAN forum Tensions between the United States and China have ratcheted up since Trump took office in January, with both countries engaging in a tariff war that briefly sent duties on each other's exports sky-high. Washington hit China with additional levies of 145 percent on its goods as both sides engaged in tit-for-tat escalation, while China's countermeasures on US goods reached 125 percent. Beijing and Washington agreed in May to temporarily slash the staggering tariffs – an outcome Trump dubbed a "total reset". However, deep mistrust remains between the two countries, with each suspecting the other of trying to weaken its influence. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused China in late May of "credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power" in the Asia-Pacific region. He also claimed that Beijing "trains every day" to invade self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory. In response, Chinese diplomats accused the United States of using the Taiwan issue to "contain China" and called on Washington to stop "playing with fire.'
CNA
08-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
ASEAN expected to issue statement expressing concern over US tariffs
ASEAN is expected to issue a statement expressing concern over US tariffs and describing them as "counterproductive". This is according to a draft Joint Communique of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting. Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan is in Kuala Lumpur for the event, which will include talks with key dialogue partners.
