Global powers converge on Manila as ASEAN summit kicks off
Much of the uproar targets the US Pax Silica program -- a supply-chain initiative designed to counter China's dominance in semiconductors and rare earths -- whose flagship Philippine project, a 1,620-hectare AI manufacturing hub north of Manila, threatens to displace Indigenous families.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit commenced in Manila, drawing global powers for discussions on trade, security, and an energy crisis. The summit also serves as a platform for the Quad countries - the United States, India, Japan, and Australia - to meet, with US President Donald Trump set to arrive near the summit's end.
This visit is anticipated to include a meeting with China's leader, Xi Jinping, and Russia's Vladimir Putin in Shenzhen. ASEAN member Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is also scheduled to attend the plenary session.
The main topic of contention is the US Pax Silica program, a supply-chain initiative aimed at mitigating China's dominance in semiconductors and rare earths. A significant project under this program, a 1,620-hectare AI manufacturing hub located north of Manila, has sparked controversy as it might displace indigenous families. US Ambassador to the Philippines, Lee Lipton, refuted rumors of a deal signing scheduled for November, coinciding with Trump's visit.
ASEAN leaders grappled with several long-standing issues, such as the delayed South China Sea Code of Conduct and their relationship with Myanmar, which has been excluded from high-level ASEAN meetings since a 2021 military coup. Myanmar's exclusion has triggered an ongoing civil war. Thailand, which shares a border with Myanmar and is leading the push for closer relations, has called for Myanmar's foreign minister to be allowed back into meetings.
However, Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro stated there would be no relaxation of the stance taken with Myanmar, which faces an international ruling on potential genocide against the Muslim Rohingya minority.
While hopes of achieving a code of conduct in the disputed South China Sea between ASEAN states and China have waned, an ASEAN defense chiefs meeting saw Beijing sending only an embassy defense attache, citing "reckless" comments by Philippine politicians. As the summit opened, a nearby seminar questioned China's South China Sea claims. The Philippine defense chief, Gilberto Teodoro, a sanction target of Beijing for irresponsible remarks, delivered a keynote address.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
