KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has condemned the use of trade tariffs as geopolitical weapons, calling on Asean to present a united front as global tensions escalate.
Speaking at the opening of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Anwar warned that tools once meant for growth — such as trade, exports, and investment — are now being weaponised to isolate and pressure nations, in an apparent rebuke of US President Donald Trump’s latest tariff measures targeting Malaysia and several regional partners.
As US Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares to join talks in Kuala Lumpur alongside ministers from China, Russia, Japan and South Korea, Anwar stressed the need for Asean to “speak with coherence and act with foresight” amid internal and external challenges.
From escalating conflicts in Myanmar to simmering border disputes, he urged Asean to embed unity in its institutions and decisions, insisting that cohesion must go beyond declarations to safeguard the region’s peace and prosperity.
