US President Donald Trump arrived in the Philippines on November 15 for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, shifting focus to regional security and trade disputes.
Protesters in Manila gathered outside the venue to object to his participation in the Asean summit, according to photographic evidence from the Agence France-Presse published by The Guardian. The gathering follows an election defeat for the US leader, prompting a renewed push for diplomatic engagement in Asia.
“If you compare how he prepares and thinks about a meeting with Putin or Xi, there just is a noticeable difference, and that’s not lost on Asian interlocutors,” said Jeffrey A. Campbell, an analyst cited by Foreign Policy.
Superpower Talks Scheduled in Shenzhen
The diplomatic center of gravity moves to Shenzhen on November 18 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ meeting, hosted by China.
The agenda features a confirmed trilateral meeting between Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The three-way meeting has been likened to a modern-day Yalta conference, though researchers note it serves largely as a symbolic platform for nuclear arms control and bargaining power over Ukraine.
Nvidia Resignation Overshadows Technology Talks
Preparations for the summits were disrupted by the resignation of Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang on November 12, following disclosures regarding an extramarital affair with a woman US intelligence suspects is a Chinese spy.
The company at the center of the US export control debate supplied high-end chips that reportedly reached Chinese clients via remote servers in Malaysia and Indonesia, according to The Straits Times. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent addressed the semiconductor leakage on November 13, as reported by The Straits Times.
“It comes as the US government is already frustrated with China’s ongoing restrictions on rare earth exports to the US and Japan,” said Chris Miller, an economic historian and author.
Regional Integration and South China Sea Disputes
Countries in south-east Asia have been laying the groundwork for a future with reduced dependence on the United States by seeking deals elsewhere, including with each other and the EU, amid persistent uncertainty and an administration determined to levy tariffs.
Discussions in Manila also cover competing claims in the South China Sea involving Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi urged Manila to rein in Filipino politicians who criticized Beijing’s maritime claims.
“Amid persistent uncertainty and an administration determined to levy tariffs by any legal means, south-east Asia’s ability to ride out another round of tariffs depends on deeper regional integration and diversification beyond the US market,” said Jayant Menon, an economist at Singapore’s Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute, writing in the East Asia Forum as cited by The Guardian.
ASEAN, Francophone, and APEC Summits Scheduled for November
Summit Schedule:
- November 14–17: ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Manila.
- November 15–16: Francophone Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
- November 18–19: APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen, China.
Concurrent events include the Francophone summit in Cambodia, attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Meanwhile, the Quad security grouping of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States will convene on the sidelines in Manila.
Common Questions on the Asia Summits
Who is attending the trilateral meeting in Shenzhen?
US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet on November 19 on the sidelines of the APEC summit, as reported by The Times of India.
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