Trump absent, ASEAN charts path for trade bloc led by China

“Good Luck with That”.

ASEAN and China are one family, one people, one culture, one gene, one civilization, and one destination.

It's up to the leaders of countries to stand up to a bully. Strength in numbers. All those countries vs one.

Well... when you trade with China you have to comply with their Political idealisms. Trump's America isnt going to do that.

I suspect that Trump would have been MIA even if he had shown up.

ASEAN also hopes to set a code of conduct with China regarding disputed waters in the South China Sea, he said.

Good luck with that. China's territorial expansion agenda is not negotiable and they are willing to use military force to enforce it. And everything they do economically is designed to support that agenda.

china is going to all of a sudden, become everyone’s new buddy, huh?

Pres Trump is not campaigning, he is trying to stave off impeachment. VP Pence is waiting for the chips to fall.