Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has reached Malaysia as the East Asia Summit begins under heightened security measures.
Thousands of police officers have been deployed to Kuala Lumpur. A lockdown is also currently in effect in the city center, permitting only official vehicles to move within the area.
US president Donald Trump was attending this year’s ASEAN meeting mainly to witness the signing of an additional peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, following cross-border military clashes earlier this year that resulted in about two dozen fatalities.
Trump’s trade tariffs imposed on various countries worldwide will be a key topic at the East Asia Summit and the upcoming APEC Summit in South Korea later this week.
Trump has continued to raise tariffs on countries that have displeased him, including a recent 10% increase in tariffs on Canadian products. The additional tariff was a response to an anti-tariff advertisement aired in the country.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s aim at the East Asia Summit and the APEC Summit was to deepen New Zealand’s relationships and open up new trade opportunities within a region home to hundreds of millions of consumers.
He also aimed to accomplish this by formalising a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN nations this week.