As Southeast Asian ministers convene for a summit in response to US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has warned that global trade is being stooped against weaker nations.
Anwar said that while power had always shaped trade, it is now more important than ever, as he said at the ASEAN foreign ministers’ annual meeting on Wednesday.
Tools that were once used to encourage growth are now used to pressure, isolate, and contain people all over the world. Without naming Trump, Anwar said that tariffs, export restrictions, and investment restrictions have now become more sophisticated tools of geopolitical rivalry.
This is not a blizzard in time. The current weather is “new.”
Anwar made his remarks as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made his first appearance in Asia as the top diplomat of the United States.
Rubio is scheduled to attend a number of ASEAN-related events, including the East Asia Summit forum, which also includes non-ASEAN nations like China, India, Japan, and South Korea.
In light of China’s growing influence, Rubio’s interactions with regional officials are likely to concentrate on trade, despite US officials’ claim that Rubio’s trip serves as a chance to emphasize Washington’s commitment to “a free, open, and secure” Asia Pacific.
If Malaysia and other Southeast Asian nations don’t agree to trade agreements with the Trump administration by August 1st, they will be subject to significant tariffs.
Exports from 14 countries, including ASEAN’s Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar would be subject to duties of 25 to 40% under Trump’s most recent tariff plans, which extended a 90-day reprieve that was scheduled to expire on Wednesday.
Vietnam is the only member of the bloc to have signed a trade agreement with Trump so far.
Anwar urged the region to “clarity and conviction” when confronting the reality of the global landscape. ASEAN must work more closely with foreign and economic policy, Anwar said.
We must fortify our internal foundations as we face external pressures. Increase cooperation, invest more in one another, and advance integration across sectors with resolve,” said Anwar.
A strategic imperative that will strengthen and sustain our relevance for decades to come is the creation of a stronger, more connected ASEAN economy.
Southeast Asian nations “must reject the notion that decisions affecting the region can be made in other spheres of influence,” Anwar said.
Source: Aljazeera
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