Malaysia Pushes ASEAN Unity, Secures Ceasefire Backing

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, chairing the 47th ASEAN Summit, urged ASEAN to forge new partnerships and deepen economic linkages while stressing cross‑pillar coordination to bolster regional resilience amid geopolitical tensions. Anwar recounted a cordial car ride with US President Donald Trump, who thanked him for his role in securing a “historic” ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand — a diplomatic success also praised by European Council President Antonio Costa. Malaysia announced trade and economic measures including upgrades to the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, a USD 10 billion APG Financing Initiative, and plans to set up an ASEAN AI Safety Network to embed ethics and governance in technology. International organisations praised Malaysia’s chairmanship: the ILO commended Anwar’s leadership on regional labour issues and the EU highlighted deepening trade and strategic ties with ASEAN. Anwar sought to downplay fears the summit would be overshadowed by great‑power rivalry as it hosted both President Trump and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.