Leaders from Trump to PM Wong to meet at Asean Summit, amid talk of trade and peace

On the agenda: Thai-Cambodian peace deal, upgrading pacts, adding Ilth member Timor-Leste

- Hariz Baharudin

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (left) and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim being welcomed by traditional dance performers in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on Oct 25, ahead of the 47th Asean Summit.

(PHOTO: EPA)

World leaders including Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, United States President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Li Qiang are meeting at the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur this weekend, as issues from the US-China trade war to peace on the Thai-Cambodian border come under the spotlight.

The 47th Asean Summit will also be significant for the expansion of the grouping for the first time since 1999.

Timor-Leste, an island nation with a population of 1.3 million, will be officially admitted into Asean as its Ilth member.

On the cards too is the expected signing of an agreement between Cambodia and Thailand to reduce tensions along their shared border.

Asean will also be upgrading its Asean Trade in Goods Agreement, a key free trade pact for the region first signed in 2009, and the Asean-China Free Trade Area agreement.

PM Wong will be in Kuala Lumpur from Oct 26 to 28 to attend the summit and related meetings. He and other regional leaders will reaffirm their commitment to Asean’s community building efforts and discuss ways to promote an open, inclusive and stable regional architecture.

"They will also discuss strengthening Asean’s economic integration by enhancing intra-Asean trade and tapping into emerging areas in the digital and green economies," the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Oct 25.