ASEAN leaders agree tariff deals with the US should not harm member

Asean 2025

Southeast Asian leaders reached an understanding on Tuesday that any bilateral agreements they strike with the United States on trade tariffs will not harm each other's economies, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.   Read more at https://tinyurl.com/2x2hth6t   WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

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00:00That ASEAN seems to be tilting towards China with more partnerships and alliances.

00:07What's your view on this?

00:09There's been this perception all along.

00:11That's why I made it clear in my original statement to the ASEAN leaders

00:19that after the recommendations by the foreign ministers

00:25and their first meeting in January in Langkawi,

00:28is to continue to engage both with the United States and China

00:35at the same time with other countries.

00:39But so following that, I wrote to President Donald J. Trump

00:44to say that the foreign ministers, on the recommendation of foreign ministers,

00:50we agree to proceed with the United States ASEAN summit.

00:57But that was written.

01:00Then we have this ASEAN GCC, a China summit.

01:06So I don't think it's tilting in any way.

01:09I mean, if it's tomorrow, I receive a letter from President Trump to say,

01:13yes, we'll have a summit in June.

01:15Oh, no, June is too fast.

01:16But then the next few months, we don't have a problem.

01:20What is ASEAN's position?

01:23It's centrality.

01:24What is the focus?

01:26Welfare, well-being of all people, economic relations, trade, investments.

01:32So if it means working with the Chinese, yes, we'll do.

01:37In the United States, yes, we have to.

01:39Because as you know, Malaysia in particular is considered to have become the hub for semiconductor.

01:51And over 60% of our exports are to the United States.

01:53It makes a lot of sense to continue to engage and have reasonably good relations.

02:01Even on the issue of Myanmar, the consensus is to continue to engage.

02:06And now we have gone to a stage where both parties are now in consultation,

02:12although at the lower key level and to just focus on prolonged ceasefire or expanded ceasefire,

02:25then, or extended ceasefire, I'm sorry, then humanitarian assistance.

02:30And then proceeding with that, the initial discussion,

02:34but subjected to or confined to the broad parameters under the five-point consensus.

02:40All right?

02:41Now, to me, it is certainly not a departure, but major progress in terms of getting them in.

02:51Timor-Leste, for example, after being, you know, protracted of negotiations with terms and no real consensus,

02:59but this time, finally, we reach a consensus.

03:03On tariff, for example, while proceeding with bilateral negotiations,

03:09Zafra was there in the States, but the consensus was to have some sort of understanding,

03:17that decisions should not be at the expense of any other country.

03:22So we will have to protect the turf of 650 or 660 million people.

03:28So I think, to me, it's a major progress.

03:30Now, from there, of course, the ministers, various ministries,

03:34and the officials will have to work on what can then be affected

03:39in terms of real implementation of programmes by October.

03:43So we will have a...

03:45That's true.

03:48Let's see, it's true.

03:51Let's see,mante.

03:52Let's see.

03:54Let's go for it.

03:58Hello?

04:06Hi.

04:08Oh, bye.

04:09This one, guys.

04:09You Joy?

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