{"id":3485,"date":"2025-10-25T05:52:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T05:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/?p=3485"},"modified":"2025-10-25T05:52:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T05:52:17","slug":"asean-summit-faces-test-of-unity-credibility-as-us-china-leaders-attend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/2025\/10\/25\/asean-summit-faces-test-of-unity-credibility-as-us-china-leaders-attend\/","title":{"rendered":"Asean summit faces test of unity, credibility as US, China leaders attend"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bernama<\/a>Share<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing rivalry between the two superpowers highlights the bloc\u2019s role as a trusted platform for dialogue and conflict prevention.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/
The attendance of US President Trump and Chinese Premier Li Qiang will mark a rare convergence of the world\u2019s two largest powers on Asean soil. (AP pic)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

KUALA LUMPUR:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The 47th Asean Summit hosted by Malaysia is shaping up to be a defining test of the regional bloc\u2019s credibility, unity and diplomatic balance as US President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Li Qiang are set to attend, a rare convergence of the world\u2019s two largest powers on Asean soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their simultaneous presence is expected to transform the summit into a critical test of Asean\u2019s long-standing principle of centrality amid mounting strategic rivalry between Washington and Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Department of political science and Madani studies at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) lecturer professor Zainal Abidin Sanusi said Asean\u2019s strength lies not in taking sides, but in building bridges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the participation of both Washington and Beijing\u2019s top leaders reaffirms Asean\u2019s position as a trusted platform for dialogue and conflict prevention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zainal Abidin said amid global tensions and shifting alliances, the summit will reveal whether Asean can continue to act as a neutral and sustainable convener in an increasingly polarised world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The summit will not only highlight Asean\u2019s diplomatic dexterity but also its moral coherence and ability to engage all partners without being drawn into rivalry, he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAsean\u2019s sustainability depends on balance, the ability to keep peace while advancing prosperity. This is where Malaysia\u2019s leadership through principled pragmatism becomes crucial,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that the presence of both Trump and Li gives a rare opportunity for Asean to demonstrate that cooperation remains possible when anchored in shared responsibility and sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, he said Malaysia should seize the moment to promote an Asean Sustainability Compact initiative, linking economic growth with environmental stewardship and social resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the theme \u201cInclusivity and Sustainability\u201d, Zainal Abidin said Malaysia\u2019s 2025 Chairmanship seeks to integrate environmental, economic and social sustainability into the bloc\u2019s long-term agenda, and this approach aligns with Malaysia\u2019s Madani vision which emphasises values-driven development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe summit provides an opportunity to advance the green economy, digital transformation and equitable growth, while strengthening regional stability through cooperation with both superpowers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zainal Abidin said in balancing relations between Washington and Beijing, Asean must navigate the strategic competition between the US and China with prudence and collective strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAsean should not be seen as a pawn in power politics, but as a platform of shared leadership,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said as the Indo-Pacific becomes increasingly fragmented, Asean\u2019s unity and its ability to project moral and diplomatic consistency will determine its relevance for the next generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe founding vision of \u2018peace through cooperation\u2019 must now evolve into \u2018sustainability through shared responsibility\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BernamaShare Growing rivalry between the two superpowers highlights the bloc\u2019s role as a trusted platform for dialogue and conflict prevention. KUALA LUMPUR:  The 47th Asean Summit hosted by Malaysia is shaping up to be a defining test of the regional bloc\u2019s credibility, unity and diplomatic balance as US President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Li […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3486,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,2,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-international-news","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3485"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3485\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3487,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3485\/revisions\/3487"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}