MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang announced on Thursday, October 15, that it is still awaiting formal confirmation regarding whether Chinese President Xi Jinping will participate in the upcoming 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit scheduled in Manila next month.
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stated that the Palace has already reached out to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to clarify Xi’s status—specifically whether he will attend in person or send a designated representative.
The DFA noted that the attendance pattern for Beijing usually follows a distinct diplomatic protocol.
“For China, traditionally, it’s the Chinese Premier who attends the ASEAN summits. But we also do not have official confirmation of the attendance as of this moment, as we speak,” the DFA stated.
While regional leaders from ASEAN, the ASEAN Plus Three, and the East Asia Summit are expected to gather, the department explained that final written notices confirming participation typically arrive only days before the actual event. Additionally, the United Nations secretary-general is slated to join the ASEAN-UN Summit.
Meanwhile, Malacañang earlier verified that United States President Donald Trump will arrive in Manila for the summit on November 16 before heading to Shenzhen, China, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ meeting slated for November 17 to 19.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has continually extended invitations to Trump, whose upcoming stop aims to underscore Washington’s diplomatic ties with Southeast Asian allies and advance shared regional security interests.
Trump previously visited the Philippines in 2017 for the ASEAN Summit during his initial term in office.