🔶 ASEAN leaders’ summit begins in the Philippines

The leaders of the ASEAN member countries, known as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, began their annual summit in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, on Sunday, November 15 (24 Aban).

The three-day summit will focus on major issues, including territorial disputes in the South China Sea and the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Beginning on Monday, representatives from Japan, China, South Korea, India, Australia, and Russia will also join the summit. After the main summit ends on Tuesday, U.S. President Trump is scheduled to arrive in Manila together with Rubio, the country’s secretary of state.

On that day, Trump will attend a special meeting with ASEAN leaders and also a session with Australia, Japan, and India. The visit is highly important for the U.S. president and could help strengthen his standing after the Republican Party’s defeat in the midterm elections.

Li Qiang, China’s premier, will meet with the participating leaders in Manila on Monday, but according to media reports, he will leave the Philippines before Trump arrives. Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, will represent his country.