Why Trump wants to attend the ASEAN Summit in KL?

While Malaysian political circles await for US President Donald J Trump’s arrival to the ASEAN Summit scheduled from Oct 26 to 28 to protest in support of the Palestinian cause, the man himself as a different motive to attend the regional summit.

According to New York – Berlin based portal Politico, Trump is attending the ASEAN Summit to showcase his regional peacemaking efforts.

Efforts would also be made to keep Beijing’s efforts out of the limelight.

The White House is conditioning Trump’s attendance at the Oct. 26-28 ASEAN meeting on the Malaysian government agreeing to allow Trump to preside over a ceremonial signing of a peace deal between Cambodia and Thailand on the summit sidelines, according to three people familiar with those plans who were granted anonymity due the sensitivity of the topic, the portal reported.

It’s the kind of high-profile event that would give Trump — who has claimed he played a decisive role in ending a deadly five day cross-border conflict between the two countries in July — an international platform to trumpet his bona fides as “peacemaker-in-chief.”

The White House has also specifically requested that summit organizers exclude Chinese officials from the ceremonial event, the people said. Keeping China out would help ensure the spotlight stays on Trump, while also downplaying Beijing’s efforts to mediate between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, it added.

“The president is negotiating this peace agreement, but this was not identified as a condition to attend the summit,” said a senior administration official granted anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic.

But the White House also said that China wasn’t relevant to the ongoing peace negotiations.

“The president negotiated this [peace] deal. … China hasn’t played a role in these negotiations,” the administration official added.

The Chinese embassy didn’t respond to a request for comment.

“Talks are ongoing, but the Malaysian government is in a difficult position,” said one of the three people familiar with summit plans.

Trump wants to be recognised as an international peace brokers to the point that he repeatedly claimed to have ended seven never ending wars and the latest, Hamas – Israel peace deal.

He also desires to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Pakistan, Israel and Cambodia have all nominated Trump.