India’s wobbling over Asean trade pact set to dominate Thailand summit as Trump’s America dials down its delegation

Eyes are on India as officials send mixed signals at the last minute on commitment to deal with 10-member bloc of Southeast Asian countries

Washington meanwhile is being represented by the lowest ranking officials to take part since the US became a formal member of the forum in 2011

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Thai policemen outside the venue for the 35th Asean Summit in Nonthaburi province. Photo: EPA

Published: 10:17pm, 1 Nov 2019Updated: 2:36pm, 18 Dec 2019

The United States and China, so often the centre of attention at summits of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and key global partners, could this year find the limelight being shared with a third major outside power – India.

The Asean bloc on Friday was pushing hard before its 35th biannual summit this weekend to wrap up talks on a massive free trade deal with six other countries so that a formal announcement could be made on Monday.

But diplomats and trade negotiators gathered at the venue outside Bangkok said all eyes were on India because New Delhi’s representatives were sending mixed signals on their commitment to the pact, even at this late stage.

The 16-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is expected to be front and centre of a flurry of talks set to begin on Saturday.

The summit includes an enclave of the 10 Asean nations and later a meeting involving the bloc’s leaders as well as each of the eight other “dialogue partners” – the US, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Russia, New Zealand and Australia. On Monday, the leaders of all 18 countries will participate in a broader forum called the East Asia Summit (EAS).

A Thai impersonator of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un outside the Asean summit venue. Photo: EPA

Other mainstay issues that usually dominate the event such as the South China Sea dispute will be on the table, but with the US sending a downgraded delegation, the usual Sino-American shadow-boxing over the territorial row and other hot-button topics may take a back seat, one Southeast Asian diplomat said.