KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has extended an official invitation to United States (US) President Donald Trump to attend the Asean–US Summit and the East Asia Summit, both scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur this October.
In a Facebook post following his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Anwar said the high-level engagement reflected a shared commitment to elevate Malaysia–US relations to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
He said the meeting opened avenues for enhanced cooperation in several key sectors, including digital investment, artificial intelligence, defence and education.
“We also exchanged views on pressing regional issues, including the situations in Palestine, Ukraine and Myanmar,” he said.
Anwar also raised Malaysia’s concerns over Washington’s planned 25% import tariff on Malaysian goods, announced by Trump earlier this week.
“Malaysia views such unilateral actions as disruptive to the flow of free trade and potentially harmful to regional economic growth, especially for trading nations like Malaysia,” he said.
“Negotiations must remain open to ensure trade outcomes that are fair, balanced, and do not disadvantage developing countries.”
Despite trade tensions, Anwar expressed confidence that close cooperation with the US would not only strengthen bilateral ties, but also serve as a catalyst for stability, prosperity and peace across the Indo-Pacific region.
Rubio’s visit marks his first to Asia as Secretary of State.
The 25% tariff on Malaysian imports is scheduled to take effect on Aug 1, following a 90-day negotiation window that began in April.
The Prime Minister, at a media conference in Rio de Janeiro on July 7, following the conclusion of a series of official visits to Italy, France and Brazil, said the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits scheduled to be held here in October are expected to be one of the largest in the grouping’s history.
