A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has urged US President Donald Trump to personally attend three major Indo-Pacific summits this fall, warning that his absence could hand China a strategic advantage as Beijing aggressively expands its influence across the region.
In a letter released on Friday, members of Congress stressed that the Indo-Pacific region remains “vital to America’s security and prosperity”, and is at the centre of “strategic competition” with China.
They called Trump’s participation in the East Asia Summit in Malaysia, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in South Korea, and the Quad Leaders’ Summit in India “essential to demonstrate US leadership and counter PRC [People’s Republic of China] ambitions”.
His attendance appeared more likely on Friday after Trump indicated that he planned to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Apec summit, from October 31 to November 1 in South Korea, which would be the cornerstone of any Asia presidential trip.
Earlier this month, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan announced that Trump will visit his country and witness a ceasefire deal between Southeast Asian neighbours Thailand and Cambodia, which he helped broker.
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