Asian leaders voice concerns over U.S. tariffs
Speaking at the 30th "Future of Asia" international forum held in Tokyo from May 29 to 30, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong warned that the current global trade order is under threat.
He urged Asian countries to stand united in addressing trade issues arising from the U.S. tariffs and emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), particularly in trade and industry.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said that trade wars undermine a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based multilateral trade system, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable. He called for unity among nations facing tariff-related pressures.
Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith underscored the importance of peaceful coexistence and mutual respect, noting that while Laos has limited trade with the United States, high tariffs could still impact its economy and investment climate.
Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung said U.S. tariffs are having a tangible effect on Vietnam's exports and investment.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad criticized the U.S. tariff measures, saying they could harm the American economy and drive up living costs domestically.
Since its inception in 1995, the "Future of Asia" forum, hosted annually by Nikkei Inc., has served as a key platform for discussing regional cooperation.
This year's forum focused on how the region can foster prosperity and economic growth through collaboration.
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Borneo Post
20 minutes ago
- Borneo Post
Thailand and Cambodia trade allegations of truce breaking
Handout photo from the Royal Thai Army on July 29, 2025 shows commanders of the Royal Thai Army (left) and Royal Cambodian Army meeting at the Thai-Cambodia border near the Chong Chom border crossing between Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province. – AFP photo BANGKOK (July 30): Thailand and Cambodia exchanged allegations today of breaching a ceasefire deal which has largely halted the open combat that engulfed their frontier. The nations agreed a truce starting Tuesday after five days of clashes killed at least 43 on both sides, as a long-standing dispute over contested border temples boiled over into fighting on their 800-kilometre boundary. But Thailand's foreign ministry said its troops in Sisaket province 'came under attack by small arms fire and grenade assaults launched by Cambodian forces' in an offensive which continued until this morning. 'This represents a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement,' said a foreign ministry statement. Thai government spokesman Jirayu Huangsab also reported overnight clashes but said in a statement 'the Thai side maintained control of the situation' and 'general conditions along the border are reported to be normal' from 8am (0100 GMT). Today, a Cambodian defence ministry official accused Thailand of twice the previous day breaching the ceasefire, intended to end fighting which has seen the two countries evacuate a total of more than 300,000 people from the border region. At a temple in Thailand's Surin city serving as a shelter and field kitchen 50 kilometres away from the frontier, volunteer Thanin Kittiworranun said evacuees remain in limbo. 'We don't believe Cambodia will hold the ceasefire,' the 65-year-old told AFP. But an AFP journalist on the Cambodian side who heard a steady drumbeat of artillery fire since fighting began last Thursday reported hearing no blasts between the start of the truce and this morning. And Beijing said deputy foreign minister Sun Weidong hosted a Shanghai meeting with Thai and Cambodian officials where both 'reaffirmed to China their commitment to abide by the ceasefire consensus'. 'Still fragile' The armistice got off to a shaky start in the early hours of Tuesday, with Thailand accusing Cambodia of continuing attacks in 'a clear attempt to undermine mutual trust' — before peace generally prevailed. Meetings between rival commanders along the border — scheduled as part of the pact — went ahead, with Thailand's army saying de-escalation steps were agreed including 'a halt on troop reinforcements or movements that could lead to misunderstandings'. But later in the day a foreign affairs spokeswoman for Bangkok's border crisis centre, Maratee Nalita Andamo, warned: 'In this moment, in the early days of the ceasefire, the situation is still fragile'. Jets, rockets and artillery have killed at least 15 Thai troops and 15 Thai civilians, while Cambodia has confirmed only eight civilian and five military deaths. The flare-up has surpassed the death toll of 28 in violence that raged sporadically from 2008 to 2011 over the territory, claimed by both nations because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia's French colonial administrators in 1907. The peace pact was sealed in Malaysia after intervention from US President Donald Trump — who both Thailand and Cambodia are courting for a trade deal to avert his threat of eye-watering tariffs. – AFP breach cambodia ceasefire Thailand
Focus Malaysia
20 minutes ago
- Focus Malaysia
Safeguarding ASEAN peace amid superpower rivalry
THE recent ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, brokered by Malaysia in its role as ASEAN Chair, is a critical step in regional peace-building. The deal, which took effect at midnight on July 28, 2025, was announced following high-level talks in Putrajaya, where Malaysia brought both parties together for urgent dialogue. This development comes as a much-needed de-escalation after renewed clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border, which have long been a flashpoint for nationalist tension and military posturing. Malaysia's leadership in the process has once again demonstrated its unique role in Southeast Asia as a credible mediator, committed to regional stability and peaceful dialogue. This role is not new as Malaysia has previously played a significant part in resolving long-standing internal conflicts in both southern Thailand and Mindanao in the Philippines. In southern Thailand, where ethnic Malay-Muslim insurgents have waged a low-intensity rebellion in the Patani region since the early 2000s, Malaysia has facilitated peace talks between insurgent groups such as the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) and the Thai government. While these talks have not yet produced a final resolution, they have created channels of communication and periods of reduced violence. Malaysia's involvement is seen as both culturally and geographically appropriate, given its shared ethnic and religious ties with the southern Thai provinces. The Malaysian government has used this proximity to build trust with insurgent leaders while maintaining diplomatic relations with the Thai state. This balancing act has helped prevent further regionalisation of the conflict and reflects a model of conflict management that is pragmatic and sensitive to local dynamics. Similarly, in Mindanao, Malaysia played a pivotal role in the peace process between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Acting as a neutral facilitator, Malaysia hosted peace talks that led to the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in 2014, ending decades of armed struggle. Malaysia also led the International Monitoring Team (IMT) that ensured compliance with the ceasefire and supported confidence-building between the parties. This initiative remains one of the most successful examples of ASEAN-led mediation, offering a model of how persistent diplomacy, regional ownership, and non-coercive facilitation can bring sustainable results. Malaysia's role in these peace processes gives it not only experience but also moral authority in mediating the current Thailand-Cambodia standoff. The ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, while bilateral in nature, has broader regional implications. It comes at a time when the Indo-Pacific is under increasing strain due to the strategic rivalry between the United States (US) and China. Their trade war and military posturing, especially in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, have heightened geopolitical tension across Southeast Asia. ASEAN, situated at the crossroads of these global currents, faces the real risk of its internal conflicts becoming arenas for proxy competition. Localised disputes like the one between Thailand and Cambodia can quickly draw in external powers, either through military cooperation, economic leverage, or political influence. This is why the question of whether the US and China should be included, at least as observers in ceasefire verification or implementation mechanisms is both relevant and delicate. On the one hand, ASEAN has always prioritised regional solutions to regional problems, emphasising non-interference and consensus. However, as seen during the Vietnam War and throughout the Cold War, Southeast Asian conflicts can easily be co-opted by larger global struggles. Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam all experienced devastating consequences when superpowers used their territory for ideological and strategic contests. The lesson for today's ASEAN is clear: excluding great powers entirely may not insulate the region; instead, it may create a vacuum that invites unilateral action or covert influence. Therefore, ASEAN should consider limited, clearly defined roles for external powers in regional peace processes. Their inclusion such as in observer or technical advisory capacities, can serve as a transparency mechanism that reassures all parties and limits behind-the-scenes manoeuvring. However, the process must remain under ASEAN's leadership to preserve regional autonomy. Malaysia, as Chair, must lead in crafting a ceasefire verification and monitoring system that includes input from ASEAN dialogue partners without ceding control. This balance is critical to ensuring that peace efforts are not hijacked by competing agendas. Malaysia's diplomatic credibility, built over years of involvement in Mindanao and southern Thailand, gives it a strategic advantage in guiding ASEAN through this challenge. Its current stewardship of the Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire provides a chance to set a precedent: regional conflict resolution must not only address immediate violence but also anticipate the strategic consequences of great power rivalry. The ceasefire monitoring mission, coordinated by Malaysia, should serve not only to ensure compliance but also to reaffirm ASEAN's role as a stabilising force in the Indo-Pacific. Ultimately, the Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire should be seen as more than a bilateral agreement as it is a test of ASEAN's ability to safeguard its region from becoming a pawn in a global contest. By learning from its own successes in Mindanao and southern Thailand, and by navigating the pressures of US-China competition with strategic foresight, ASEAN can protect its vision of a peaceful, independent Southeast Asia. Malaysia, with its proven mediation track record, must ensure that this vision does not falter under the weight of global tensions. ‒ July 30, 2025 R. Paneir Selvam is the principal consultant of Arunachala Research & Consultancy Sdn Bhd, a think tank specialising in strategic national and geopolitical matters. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image: Reuters
Free Malaysia Today
an hour ago
- Free Malaysia Today
JS-SEZ draws RM1.34bil in investment commitments from 5 S'pore companies
Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said 70 companies from countries such as Singapore, China, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands have expressed interest in investing in the JS-SEZ. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Johor has secured RM1.34 billion in investment commitments from five Singapore-based companies under the Johor-Singapore special economic zone (JS-SEZ), says menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi. An additional RM78 million in potential investments is under negotiation as part of the second phase, he said. Onn Hafiz said these investments were facilitated by the Johor branch of the Malaysian Investment Facilitation Centre, which helps coordinate and speed up strategic investment processes in the state. 'To date, 70 companies from countries including Singapore, China, Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands, as well as local investors, have expressed interest in investing in the JS-SEZ,' Bernama quoted him as saying during his official visit to Singapore as the 82nd recipient of the Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship. He also met with Singapore's deputy prime minister and minister for trade and industry Gan Kim Yong to strengthen economic ties and discuss the implementation of the JS-SEZ. Onn Hafiz said among the topics discussed were establishing a free trade zone within the JS-SEZ, improving cross-border movement of goods and talent, and developing a second Rapid Transit System link on Johor's western side. He said they also discussed addressing the rising cost of living, infrastructure improvements, and a more efficient transport system. He emphasised Johor's readiness to adopt progressive policies that promote growth and ensure real benefits for the people, and reaffirmed the importance of strong cooperation between Johor, Malaysia and Singapore. 'I believe the strategic cooperation between Johor, Malaysia and Singapore must continue to be strengthened to realise a development agenda that is inclusive, equitable and sustainable, so that no one is left behind,' he said. JS-SEZ was formally established in January through an agreement between Malaysia and Singapore to boost economic connectivity between the state and the republic. It aims to attract 100 projects worth RM100 billion and create about 100,000 jobs in high-value sectors such as manufacturing, digital economy, logistics, clean energy, and tourism over the next decade.
