World leaders are coming together to hold a series of important meetings in Asia that will cover topics including artificial intelligence (AI), trade, and possibly nuclear disarmament.
ASEAN Leaders Summit in Manila
The final summit of the leaders of the 11 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be held on Sunday in Manila, while Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, will attend the Francophonie summit in Phnom Penh. After that, attention will shift to the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, will play a key role in the APEC summit, and Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, will attend the ASEAN summit. Additionally, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, and Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, will both participate in these summits.
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Challenges of Diplomatic Talks
Analysts believe that Trump's defeat in the recent midterm elections will not significantly affect the region's view of him. Siew Mun Tang, former head of the ASEAN Studies Centre at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, stated: "I don't think the region will see him as a discredited president. He has two more years and can accomplish a lot." The APEC summit will receive special attention due to a proposed meeting between Xi Jinping, the President of China, Trump, and Putin, although the agenda is still unclear. Putin has called for discussions on Ukraine, while Trump recently stated that the focus will be on nuclear disarmament and ending the war in Iran.
Artificial intelligence will be a key topic at the APEC summit, following an agreement between Xi Jinping and Trump in September to establish a "communication channel" for incidents related to AI. Despite intense technological competition between the two countries, calls for cooperation on shared concerns such as biological weapons and hacking of infrastructure are increasing.
In Manila, the Philippines' presidency of ASEAN will end without achieving one of its main goals, which was to sign an agreement on conduct in the South China Sea with China. This maritime dispute has overshadowed the events of this bloc throughout the year, and one Southeast Asian diplomat involved in the summit preparations has predicted that no agreement will be reached in Manila.
Trade will be a key topic at both summits, but progress on regional free trade frameworks is complicated by tensions between China and the United States and Trump's tariffs.
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