KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s handover of the Asean chairmanship to the Philippines for 2026 will be the highlight of the final day of the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits.
Other key moments include the 28th Asean-China Summit and the signing of the Asean-China Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade, which will be witnessed by both Asean and China leaders.
Premier Li Qiang is in Kuala Lumpur for the summit.
On Sunday (Oct 26), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the signing of the Asean-China Free Trade Area 3.0 on Oct 28 will mark a new chapter in the partnership, demonstrating shared commitment to fair trade, digital transformation and sustainable energy.
China is Asean’s largest trading partner.
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Asean leaders will also be having a commemorative summit with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and the 5th Asean-Australia Summit with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Kuala Lumpur became a diplomatic capital over the past week, hosting the world’s prominent leaders under one roof.
The 2025 Asean Summit, which Malaysia hosted, is dubbed as the largest ever since the formation of the bloc in 1976.
The summit, which came amidst global trade and geopolitical tensions, also became a platform for countries to hold bilateral talks.
It also marked US President Donald Trump’s maiden visit to Malaysia, making him only the third president after Lyndon B. Johnson and Barack Obama to visit the country.
