KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 (Reuters): China pressed on Monday for stronger economic ties and more open trade at a regional summit in Malaysia dominated by the shadow of steep US tariffs after proceedings attended by President Donald Trump.
In a flurry of deal-making on his first stop during a five-day tour of Asia, Trump oversaw the signing on Sunday of an expanded ceasefire pact between Cambodia and Thailand and four regional trade deals.
None of those framework deals reduced steep US tariffs on Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, the White House said, though they left room for some exemptions.
"Our message to the nations of Southeast Asia is that the United States is with you 100 per cent and we intend to be a strong partner for many generations," Trump said on a day when US and Chinese negotiators agreed to a tariff pause in their trade war.
While Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio fly to Japan, top officials from China and the leaders of Brazil, Canada, the European Council and the 11-strong ASEAN bloc will work to solidify economic partnerships and hammer out trade pacts.
With two lower-profile US officials left at the summit after Rubio's departure, Chinese officials are expected to press for lower barriers, opens new tab and anchoring measures under World Trade Organization rules while seeking to shore up regional ties.
At a meeting of ASEAN members with China, Japan, and South Korea, Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for all parties to uphold free trade and oppose protectionism, a phrase China has used to call out Trump's tariffs.
"We must fully safeguard the hard-earned peace and stability in East Asia," Qiang said in a summary of remarks from state media.
He urged countries to "uphold free trade and the multilateral trading system, oppose all forms of protectionism, and continuously advance regional economic integration".
The China-backed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, comprised of 10 ASEAN nations with Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, also called for wider trade efforts and faster addition of new members in its first summit since 2020.
The world's largest trading bloc, RECP covers about 30 per cent of global gross domestic product and is touted by some analysts as a potential buffer against US tariffs. But China's leadership attempts at a summit that features Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney among other world leaders could face resistance among concerns about its rising military ambitions.
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr criticised Beijing's actions in the South China Sea, a busy waterway in which Malaysia and Vietnam also have territorial claims.
"It is regrettable that incidents continue to occur ... which endanger the lives of Philippine personnel and compromise the safety of our vessels and aircraft," Marcos said of a series of confrontations there. In response to Marcos' comments, China's foreign office said the "Philippine side's deliberate violation of rights and provocation at sea is the source of tension".
