FP This Week - October 21, 2025 - The 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit begins on Oct. 26 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

 

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Members of the Thai Red Cross Society treat patients at an evacuation center in Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province on Aug. 5. Andrew Nachemson photos for Foreign Policy

The 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit begins on Oct. 26 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event has always been a draw for other world leaders interested in cultivating friendships in the resolutely impartial region, but this year’s meeting has attracted more than usual.  Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are all expected to attend, along with U.S. President Donald Trump.  Trump hopes to oversee the signing of a peace deal between Cambodia and Thailand on the sidelines of the summit. The U.S. president continues to take credit for ending the five-day military conflict along the countries’ disputed border in July, though the cease-fire is looking shaky. The fighting displaced hundreds of thousands of people—and also shifted domestic politics in both countries, Andrew Nachemson writes. One important meeting will not be between top leaders but, rather, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. They will convene in Malaysia to discuss China’s recent crackdown on rare-earth exports, as well as Trump’s retaliatory threat of 100 percent tariffs on Beijing starting on Nov. 1.  Which cards does the United States hold in this game of supply chain poker? “Trump may want to break China’s monopoly, but it appears to be too late,” Graham Allison concludes. “There is no easy way to eliminate vulnerabilities created by U.S. reliance on China for vital items.” For a debrief on ASEAN next week, as well as news from the region every Tuesday, be sure to sign up for FP’s new Southeast Asia Brief, written by Joseph Rachman in Jakarta.—Amelia Lester, deputy editor Note: FP This Week was delayed due to technical difficulties, but will be back in your inbox at our regularly scheduled time next week.

On Our Radar AUKUS check-in. On Monday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese finally sat down with Trump at the White House following several perceived snubs. Trump and Albanese signed an agreement on rare earth minerals and discussed the AUKUS security pact, through which the United States will provide Australia with nuclear-capable submarines starting in 2032. A U.S. Defense Department review appears to have rubber-stamped the initiative, which brings “several significant geostrategic implications,” Derek Grossman writes. U.N. growing pains. Friday, Oct. 24, marks 80 years since the United Nations was officially established, and the institution is down but not out. During last month’s high-level U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York, global leaders called for a more effective and representative Security Council. Wang Huiyao argues that the body’s current structure “reflects, at best, the geopolitical realities at the time of the last set of Security Council reforms in 1965” as he outlines a plan for the group to expand to include all G-21 (formerly G-20) members. India’s neighborhood watch. As Modi seeks to resolve a trade dispute with the United States while also pushing back against Trump’s claims that India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil, Chietigj Bajpaee argues that New Delhi can only ignore its immediate neighbors for so long. “India is surrounded by an arc of instability,” Bajpaee writes. “This adds further urgency to the task of strengthening regional integration and cooperation in South Asia.”

Poll: How strong is China’s hand in trade negotiations with the United States?  Control over rare-earth minerals gives China the advantage.  China and the U.S. have about the same amount of leverage in these negotiations.  The strength of the U.S. dollar gives Trump the edge.   Last week’s results: How involved do you predict that Trump will be in the ongoing Israel-Hamas peace process?    Very involved: It’s a cornerstone of his agenda. (23%)  Somewhat involved: It’s important, but other issues are top priority right now. (34%)  Not involved: He’s ready to take a back seat. (43%)

FP COLLECTIONS The Scramble for Critical Minerals New from FP! Our third collection, “The Scramble for Critical Minerals,” is all about rare-earth minerals: from China’s control of the industry to the Trump administration’s plan for a bigger stake in the global market. It’s our editors’ must-reads on the topic, ready to download as a PDF and read at your leisure. Subscribe today to unlock the collection. READ THE COLLECTION

FP Live Trump’s New Expansionism On Demand Can history explain the inconsistencies in Trump’s foreign policy? According to the historian Greg Grandin, Trump may be seeking inspiration from the United States’ founders, who expanded the country’s frontiers. Grandin, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America, joined FP Live to discuss Trump’s imperialist tendencies and how they change Washington’s relations with its partners and neighbors. Watch on demand. What’s Next for the Palestinians? On Demand Amid the fragile cease-fire and the joyful return of prisoners and hostages, one question looms large: What’s next for the Palestinians? How will they rebuild? Who will govern? FP’s Ravi Agrawal had a wide-ranging discussion with Palestinian Canadian lawyer Diana Buttu, a former peace negotiator and former spokesperson for the Palestine Liberation Organization. They discussed the ongoing negotiations, the future of Palestinian statehood, and the role of international law. Watch on demand, or read the edited transcript. Why Young Americans Are Swinging Right On Demand Poll after poll shows that the United States’ youngest voters are embracing conservatism and the Republican Party. While only 36 percent of people under 30 voted for Trump in 2016 or 2020, that number jumped to 43 percent in 2024. So, what policies are capturing their attention and their votes? Emily Jashinsky is a conservative journalist, podcaster, and analyst. She joined FP’s Ravi Agrawal for an in-depth discussion of youth issues, the resonance of Charlie Kirk, and the government shutdown. Watch on demand, or read the edited transcript.

Exercise Your Mind Violent anti-government protests continued in Peru last week even after the Peruvian Congress impeached unpopular President Dina Boluarte. With Boluarte ousted, who is now serving as interim leader? Pedro Castillo Keiko Fujimori José Jerí Elmer Schialer You can find the answer to this question at the end of this email. Test your knowledge with more quiz questions.

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Answer: C. Jerí is expected to continue many of Boluarte’s policies, FP’s Catherine Osborn reports in Latin America Brief.

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