World leaders opened the ASEAN summit in Manila, focused on energy security and pressure from China.

Asian leaders pose for a group photo during the opening ceremony of the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila, Philippines, on November 15 (REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez)More than 20 leaders of global powers will gather starting this Sunday in Manila for the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), marked by the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump, the regional energy crisis, tensions with China, and the debate over a possible rapprochement with Burma's military regime. The Philippines will close out its annual presidency of the bloc—made up of Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and East Timor—with the meeting. Philippine authorities reinforced security in the capital ahead of the delegations' arrival. The leaders of the member countries will attend the gathering, except for the head of Burma's military junta, Min Aung Hlaing, whom ASEAN has not invited since the 2021 coup d'état. Some governments in the region, including Thailand and Malaysia, back a rapprochement with the military authorities, despite the internal conflict and the detention of political prisoners such as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The summit will also be attended by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney; Japan's Sanae Takaichi; India's Narendra Modi; South Korea's Lee Jae Myung; Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Australia's Anthony Albanese; and New Zealand's Christopher Luxon. China will send Prime Minister Li Qiang to represent Chinese leader Xi Jinping, while Russia will be represented by its foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. Also participating will be United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos greet International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva upon her arrival at the 49th ASEAN Summit on November 15, 2026, in Manila, Philippines (Ezra Acayan/REUTERS)Energy security will take center stage on the agenda. Several Southeast Asian countries increased their energy purchases from Russia since the start of the war between the United States and Israel against Iran, although internal differences within the bloc make it difficult to adopt common positions. The conflict in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for energy trade, affected Southeast Asia. The Philippines was one of the hardest-hit countries and in March became the first in the region to declare an energy emergency. Disputes in the South China Sea will also be present in the talks. ASEAN countries have recorded incidents between their vessels and Chinese ships in an area that Beijing claims almost in its entirety. Negotiations on a regional code of conduct remain without decisive progress, despite Manila's promise to close an agreement during its presidency. The Philippines and the United States are also promoting Pax Silica, a coalition on semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Manila joined the initiative in April, with the goal of developing a technology hub in the country. U.S. President Donald Trump will arrive in Manila for a visit of less than 24 hours, nine years after his last trip to the Philippines, with no meeting scheduled with Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva or with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Philippine media reported that Trump will land shortly before the close of the summit on Tuesday. It is not yet known whether he will participate in the closing ceremony or whether he will limit his agenda to a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. U.S. President Donald Trump and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., United States (REUTERS/Kent Nishimura/File)The stopover in the Philippines will precede the U.S. leader's trip to Shenzhen, China, where he will meet with Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled for November 18 and 19. Renato Cruz De Castro, a professor at De La Salle University in Manila, told the EFE agency that the visit seeks to convey to Beijing that "the United States reaffirms its alliance with the Philippines (...), not only in defense, but also in economics." Cruz De Castro noted that the regional situation shaped the Philippines' agenda during the year. "It has been very tough. War broke out in the Middle East and that cast a shadow over the Philippines' leadership," he said. Henelito Sevilla, a professor at the Asian Center of the University of the Philippines specializing in the Middle East, warned that the impact of the energy crisis could be prolonged. "I do not see the end of the crisis in the short term," he said, adding that a possible pause in the attacks between the United States and Iran "does not guarantee" the normalization of energy supplies to Asia. (With information from EFE and AFP)