US President Donald Trump's planned meeting with leaders of all 11 ASEAN member states on Nov 17 will be the centrepiece of the regional bloc's 49th Summit in Manila, placing Washington's engagement with Southeast Asia in focus amid growing geopolitical and economic challenges.
The ASEAN-US Special Summit will conclude the three-day gathering, which runs from Nov 15 to 17, with discussions expected to cover trade, investment, education, technology and broader regional cooperation.
Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Dominic Xavier Imperial said Trump was expected to arrive late on the afternoon of Nov 17, but his arrival would not disrupt the summit's programme.
"We will proceed as planned with regard to the preparations, especially on the closing ceremony," he said during a briefing on Friday (Nov 13).
Imperial said the final day's activities would culminate in the ASEAN-US meeting despite the US president's late arrival.
He said the special summit's leaders-only format was intended to facilitate more direct and candid discussions between Trump and ASEAN leaders.
"The intent of ASEAN and the US is to have a more candid discussion during this summit," he said.
The meeting is expected to review bilateral and regional cooperation, with decisions to be outlined in an outcome document.
AP cited that Trump is also expected to hold separate bilateral engagements on Nov 18, although details have yet to be announced.
The high-level gathering comes as ASEAN seeks to strengthen its external partnerships while addressing mounting challenges, including tensions in the South China Sea, Myanmar's political crisis, energy and food security, and transnational crime.
The threat posed by online scam operations is also expected to feature prominently in discussions.
A draft joint statement reported by the Associated Press indicates that ASEAN leaders and their East Asia Summit counterparts, including the United States and China, are expected to express grave concern over transnational criminal organisations operating online scam centres and engaging in related crimes such as human trafficking.
A July report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime highlighted the growing use of integrated criminal networks and technology by Southeast Asian-based groups to expand their operations internationally.
Regional authorities estimated that online scams caused combined losses of between US$88.3 billion and US$114.1 billion in 2025.
Meanwhile, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Manila today, chaired by Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, to prepare for the summit and exchange views on key regional and international developments.
ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn attended the meeting, which also focused on external relations and efforts to advance ASEAN Community-building.
The summit will also feature engagements with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and the United Nations, including the ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the East Asia Summit.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is scheduled to hold separate bilateral meetings with Trump and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, alongside engagements with other international leaders.
The gathering will bring together all 11 ASEAN members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Timor-Leste, which joined the bloc in October 2025.
The Philippines will formally hand over ASEAN's rotating chairmanship to Singapore at the conclusion of the summit, marking the transition to the next phase of the bloc's regional agenda. - November 14, 2026
