US President Donald Trump will attend the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on 26-28 October after speaking with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the latter politician told the Malaysian Parliament on 31 July.

The development comes as Southeast Asia (SEA) states seek greater engagement from the US amid intensifying regional competition with China. Trump’s attendance would mark the first time a Republican president has attended an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ meeting, following several years of lower-level US representation.

US reportedly begins summit plans

Anwar said Trump confirmed his participation in a phone call early on 31 July, adding that the US leader also pledged to avoid imposing new trade tariffs on Malaysian goods. “President Trump said he would attend the ASEAN Summit and wanted to meet the region’s leaders directly,” Anwar said in a speech to MPs.

The development represented another win on the international stage for Anwar, after he recently played a part in brokering a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia.

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry said preparations for the 47th ASEAN Summit were underway and confirmed that formal invitations had been sent to all ten ASEAN leaders and external partners, including the US, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and India.

The US State Department has not yet issued a formal confirmation. However, Malaysian officials said US National Security Council staff had already begun summit coordination with their counterparts in Putrajaya, west Malaysia.

Trump eschewed ASEAN summits in first term

The ASEAN-US relationship has been marked by uneven engagement in recent years. Trump skipped all three of the ASEAN summits held during his previous term, sending lower-level representatives instead. His planned attendance this year could recalibrate perceptions of US commitment to SEA, particularly as China, Japan and South Korea maintain consistent high-level participation.

Trump’s remarks also addressed trade tensions, assuring Anwar that any new US tariffs would exclude Malaysian exports. The pledge follows concern over potential spillover effects from Trump’s proposed 15% blanket tariff on all imports, which has unsettled Asian trade partners including Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.

Philippines positive, Singapore sceptical

The ASEAN Secretariat in Indonesia has not commented on Trump’s mooted participation but reiterated that summit preparations are focused on trade facilitation, regional digital governance and maritime cooperation.

Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo reportedly welcomed the announcement as a positive signal that the US remains engaged with ASEAN’s future.

However, Singaporean diplomats privately expressed scepticism over the news, noting that declarations of interest have not always been meaningfully followed up.

Next steps, implications for ASEAN

The Malaysian International Trade and Industry Ministry said it expected the ASEAN Summit to include dedicated sessions on Indo-Pacific security architecture, regional supply chain resilience, and digital trade protocols. A preparatory working group is scheduled to convene in Putrajaya in early September, with final agenda confirmation expected by mid-October.

Should Trump attend, it would mark his most significant engagement with SEA since returning to the White House, and may also pressure other dialogue partners to elevate their delegations at the summit.