Driving commercial and political engagement between Asia, the Middle East and Europe
Driving commercial and political engagement between Asia, the Middle East and Europe
Driving commercial and political engagement between Asia, the Middle East and Europe
Leaders of all 10 ASEAN member countries will be in Singapore this week for the 33rd ASEAN Summit, which comes against a backdrop of US-China trade tensions and a drift towards populism in the region.
The summit, which will also see world leaders such as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance, comes as Singapore’s chairmanship of ASEAN approaches its final stages.
The US and Chinese presidents will not be attending, sending senior officials in their place.
According to The Straits Times, the ASEAN Smart Cities Framework is expected to be high on the agenda, with members set to agree plans to create a network of smart cities across the bloc.
The Framework’s initial 26 member cities include Bangkok, Cebu City and Yangon, all of which will collaborate on technology aimed at improving public services and economic opportunities.
Progress is also expected to be made on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), The Nation reports.
RCEP, which includes China but not the United States, is expected to be the key point of focus for Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who is representing Beijing at the summit. Previous ASEAN meetings have seen members pledge to reach agreement on RCEP this year, and all eyes will be on Singapore this week for signs of a deal between the 16 countries involved.
President Donald Trump will not be in Singapore, with Vice President Mike Pence attending instead. According to the South China Morning Post, Trump’s decision to skip the summit ‘has raised questions about his commitment to a regional strategy aimed at checking China’s rise.’ But with President Xi not attending either, it is possible that the two leaders will be keeping their respective powder dry ahead of planned talks at the G20 in Buenos Aires later this month.
The role of ASEAN in global trade and the current tensions between China and the US will be key talking points at Asia House’s major trade dialogue in Singapore on 22 November.
