By Patricia Lourdes Viray
MANILA, Philippines — The attendance of United States (US) President Donald Trump on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Manila on November might do more harm than good, an analyst said.
Aaron Connelly, a research fellow in the East Asia Program at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, said that it would be difficult to imagine Trump listening to a plenary session that might last until four hours.
"It is difficult to imagine Trump patiently listening to the General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party hold forth on sustainable development, or responding in a constructive manner should Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte blast century-old US human rights abuses, as he did last year," Connelly said in his article titled "Don't waste time trying to get Trump to Manila."
Connelly noted that it is unclear whether Trump will attend the summits as he is not fond of spending more than a couple days on the road.
The APEC and ASEAN summits are scheduled back-to-back in November and would require at least six days, including flights to and from the region.
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