Thailand PM Cancels ASEAN Summit Attendance Following Queen Mother Sirikit's Death as US-China Trade Talks Continue

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has canceled his attendance at the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia following the passing of Queen Mother Sirikit, potentially missing a significant ceasefire agreement signing with Cambodia that US President Donald Trump is scheduled to witness.

Foreign ministers from Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states convened Saturday in Kuala Lumpur, initiating a weekend of international diplomatic engagements. Concurrent with the summit, delegations from the United States and China are conducting critical trade discussions.

President Trump is expected to arrive in the Malaysian capital Sunday morning, marking the first stop on his Asian tour. He was originally scheduled to observe Thailand and Cambodia signing a comprehensive ceasefire agreement, following his involvement in mediating an end to a deadly five-day border conflict in July.

A spokesperson for the Thai government indicated that discussions are underway regarding how to proceed with the ceasefire ceremony and whether an alternative official would represent Thailand for the agreement signing in Prime Minister Anutin's absence.

It remains uncertain whether Anutin might still travel to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. The Thai cabinet has scheduled a Saturday morning meeting to coordinate funeral arrangements for the Queen Mother.

At this year's gathering, ASEAN intends to advocate for multilateral trade policies and strengthen relationships with new partners, while navigating challenges posed by Trump's global tariff initiatives.

The association will also formally welcome East Timor as its eleventh member nation.

In parallel with the regional summit, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will engage in trade negotiations with a Chinese delegation headed by Vice Premier He Lifeng.

These discussions between the world's two largest economies aim to find common ground after Trump threatened to impose new 100% tariffs on Chinese imports and additional trade restrictions beginning November 1, responding to China's expanded export controls on rare earth magnets and minerals.