Putrajaya (Malaysia), May 22 (AP) The civil war in Myanmar, maritime disputes in the South China Sea and US tariff hikes will top the agenda of a two-day Southeast Asian summit next week, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said.

The meeting in Malaysia, the current chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, on Monday will be followed by a summit on Tuesday with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The GCC already has strong links with the US and “wants to be close to China too,” Anwar said. “We want to have that synergy to enhance trade investments, more effective collaboration,” Anwar said in a media briefing late Wednesday.

ASEAN countries have been hit by US tariffs ranging from 10% to 49%. US President Donald Trump last month announced a 90-day pause on the tariffs, prompting countries including Malaysia and Singapore to swiftly begin trade negotiations with Washington.

Anwar said the US has promised to review Malaysia's case “sympathetically”. He said ASEAN is also working together to see how it can negotiate with the US as a bloc. At the same time, he said that ASEAN must build its economic resilience by deepening links with other partners such as China, India and the European Union.

Anwar said the US-China rivalry would not split the bloc as the region continues to engage both superpowers. He also downplayed territorial disputes between ASEAN members and China in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety, and Myanmar's conflict since the 2021 military takeover.

Anwar met last month with Myanmar military chief Gen Ming Aung Hlaing in Bangkok and held virtual talks with the opposition National Unity Government. Even though the talks were currently focused on humanitarian aid, Anwar said he hopes they could eventually push a peace process forward.

Min Aung Hlaing has been barred from attending ASEAN meetings after the military refused to comply with ASEAN's peace plan, which includes delivery of humanitarian aid and negotiations. Opponents and critics of the military government say aid is not freely allowed into areas not under the army's control, and accuse the army of violating its self-declared ceasefire with dozens of airstrikes. (AP) SCY SCY

US tariff hikes prompt ASEAN to pursue collective trade negotiation and diversify partners while addressing regional security concerns. ASEAN will prioritise US tariff hikes, Myanmar's civil war and South China Sea maritime disputes; members plan to negotiate trade pressures collectively while deepening economic ties with China, India and the EU to build economic resilience. Myanmar engagement focuses on humanitarian aid and a potential peace process, though its military leader remains barred from ASEAN meetings for failing to comply with the bloc's peace plan.