BIZ BUZZ: Can Asean get Uncle Sam to come?

As if juggling 11 Southeast Asian heads of state wasn’t enough of a security nightmare, the Philippine team hosting this year’s high-stakes Asean Summit is aiming even higher: netting the commitment of US President Donald Trump.

Asean Business Advisory Council (BAC) Chair Jose Ma. Concepcion III told Biz Buzz that securing Trump’s commitment to Manila this November is the delegation’s “most important” mission.

That is, of course, because the US serves not just as one of Asean’s largest trading partners but also as one of the most influential players in the geopolitical arena.

Under Trump 2.0, Washington infamously slapped hefty tariffs on numerous goods, including those from Asean countries.

A little rubbing shoulders in Manila might just be the balm needed to resolve to ease the lingering bruises from those trade feuds.

Concepcion also warned that a no-show would sting particularly badly for the Philippines.

Trump attended the previous summit in Malaysia, where he even mediated a peace deal between Cambodia and Thailand.

Skipping Manila, Concepcion said, could send the wrong signal.

“If he skips the Philippines, what’s wrong with the Philippines?” he said.

To recall, Trump did attend the 2017 Asean Summit hosted by the Philippines under Rodrigo Duterte. Since then, no US president has visited the country.

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Still, Trump isn’t the only VIP on Manila’s wish list.

The Asean delegation is also hoping to secure the commitments of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the latter already being courted with the help of Filipino Indian business groups.

With months to go, the big question remains: Will the world’s most influential leaders pencil in Manila this November? Can the Philippines get Uncle Sam back in town? Abangan! 

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