Selangor – Chinese President Xi Jinping may attend the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, scheduled for October 26–28 in Malaysia. The announcement was made by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during an ASEAN Day ceremony in Cyberjaya on Friday (Aug 8).
Anwar stated that at least four world leaders were expected to join the high-profile gathering. He mentioned US President Donald Trump, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in addition to Xi, as part of the confirmed invitations.
“We look forward to welcoming the heads of government of ASEAN and dialogue partners, including US President Donald Trump, and I believe Chinese President Xi Jinping,” Anwar was quoted as saying by local media.
While Washington has already confirmed Trump’s participation following Anwar’s phone call with him in late July, Beijing has not officially responded regarding Xi’s attendance. Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan later described Xi’s potential presence as still a “possibility.”
If confirmed, Xi’s appearance would mark a rare in-person participation by a Chinese president at an ASEAN-related summit. The last was in 1997, when Jiang Zemin attended the inaugural China-ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur. In recent years, Chinese premiers have represented Beijing at ASEAN gatherings, while Xi’s most recent engagement was a virtual session in 2021.
The prospect of both Xi and Trump attending the Malaysia summit raises anticipation of a possible bilateral meeting between the two leaders in Southeast Asia. Their last direct encounter took place at the G20 Summit in Osaka in 2019, while Xi last met a sitting US president in person in 2024, during the APEC Summit in Peru.
Anwar emphasized that beyond securing attendance, the greater challenge lies in ensuring the summit delivers tangible outcomes. “The eyes of the world will be upon us. We must ensure that their visit yields results of lasting value,” he said.
The 2025 ASEAN Summit is expected to be one of the bloc’s largest and most high-profile gatherings to date, with intra-ASEAN trade, investment flows, and broader regional cooperation on the agenda.
