World leaders to attend ASEAN summit in Manila next week

The Philippine government will host the 49th Leaders' Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila from November 15 to 18. The event brings together heads of state and government from across Southeast Asia and beyond.

United States President Donald Trump will attend the summit, nearly a decade after his first visit to the Philippines for the 31st ASEAN Summit in 2017. His attendance follows a midterm election defeat for Trump and the MAGA movement, leaving countries affected by his tariffs and trade policies uncertain about his next steps. Trump recently named hardliner Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff.

“It was time for the talks to progress and tackle the thorny issues that had been avoided.”

Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will also join the summit upon an invitation from Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Junior. This will be Lula's first visit to Manila as both countries mark 80 years of diplomatic relations. Lula recently won a fourth term in office, defeating right-wing figure Flavio Bolsonaro.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to attend as well. Carney gained attention after a speech in Davos that criticized Trump and received a standing ovation. He has argued that the rules-based global order has ended and that middle powers should unite, a position Marcos expressed in 2024 at the Shangri-La Dialogue.

China remains a major focus of the discussions because ASEAN has been negotiating a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea with Beijing for more than two decades. At last year's summit, then-foreign secretary Enrique Manalo said it was time for the talks to move forward and address difficult issues that had been avoided.

Angelina Jolie is scheduled to speak at the 2026 ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit in Manila on Wednesday, November 11. The Philippine government is also advising travelers to check a list of rescheduled and canceled flights affected by the main summit.

The summit takes place at a significant moment for global politics, with several major powers reassessing their international positions.