US President Trump Visits Malaysia for ASEAN Summit Amid Great Power Rivalry

US President Donald Trump is set to make an official visit to Malaysia from October 26 to 27 for the 13th ASEAN-United States Summit and 20th East Asia Summit, marking his first visit to Southeast Asia since taking office in January 2025. The visit, at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, aims to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in trade, investment, defense, and security, with both leaders scheduled for a bilateral meeting and the signing of relevant documents. This visit highlights Malaysia's strategic balancing act amid US-China rivalry, as the country maintains strong economic ties with both powers, with the US being a major investor and trading partner, and China a key purchaser of Malaysian exports. Trump is only the third US president to visit Malaysia, underscoring the rarity of such visits and the significance of the summit hosted by Malaysia. The summit also includes leaders from other prominent countries, while some key figures like China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin will not attend. Overall, the visit is expected to deepen Malaysia-US relations and support Malaysia's diplomatic efforts in navigating complex regional dynamics.