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The ASEAN Summit 2025 - More than just a stage for Trump

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  • Heiduk, Felix
  • Hell, Nora

Abstract

The biannual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit meetings are a fixed component of regional summit diplomacy. Internationally, however, they tend to attract little to no attention. This is partly due to their reputation as mere "talk shops" that rarely produce concrete results and partly due to the structural and institutional weaknesses of ASEAN itself, which frequently become visible during such summits, reinforcing fundamental doubts about their effectiveness. The fact that the ASEAN Summit held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2025 attracted considerably greater international attention than usual can be attributed to several factors. United States (US) President Donald Trump participated in a meeting of the regional organisation for the first time and acted as patron of the so-called Thai-Cambodian peace agreement signed during the summit. Moreover, on the sidelines of the summit the US and China conducted negotiations aimed at limiting their trade disputes. The admission of Timor-Leste as ASEAN's 11th member further underscored the organisation's continuing appeal. Nevertheless, numerous concrete challenges, such as the management of regional conflicts or reform of the consensus principle, remain unresolved. Despite its limitations, ASEAN remains significant for Germany and Europe because of its "convening power", its inclusive multilateralism, and the growing strategic significance of Southeast Asia.

Suggested Citation

  • Heiduk, Felix & Hell, Nora, 2025. "The ASEAN Summit 2025 - More than just a stage for Trump," SWP Comments 48/2025, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:swpcom:333597
    DOI: 10.18449/2025C48
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