This week, I’m coming to you from the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, where I’ve been haunting the frigidly air-conditioned convention center halls. Highlights of this all-ASEAN edition: the upshot of U.S.-China trade talks on the sidelines, Trump’s photo-op peace deal with Cambodia and Thailand , an awkward gaffe that offended Indonesia , and an interview with the president of ASEAN’s newest member, Timor-Leste .

Welcome to Foreign Policy’s Southeast Asia Brief.

This week, I’m coming to you from the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, where I’ve been haunting the frigidly air-conditioned convention center halls. Highlights of this all-ASEAN edition: the upshot of U.S.-China trade talks on the sidelines, Trump’s photo-op peace deal with Cambodia and Thailand, an awkward gaffe that offended Indonesia, and an interview with the president of ASEAN’s newest member, Timor-Leste.

Mixed Feelings on U.S.-China Talks

Trade talks were, unsurprisingly, the defining feature of this week’s summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The United States and China’s cautious edging toward de-escalation on the sidelines attracted the most attention—and yielded the outlines of an agreement ahead a planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea tomorrow.

China’s sweeping controls on rare earths seem to be on hold for now, as are the United States’ threatened 100 percent retaliatory tariffs.

Other topics discussed included popular video app TikTok, agricultural goods such as soybeans, fentanyl, and port fees on Chinese-made ships.

However, both sides made clear that no final deal was on the table, so much will hinge on the upcoming meeting between Trump and Xi.

What’s the reaction been like from the Southeast Asian side?

Relief, but also trepidation. The first emotion is easy enough to understand. China and the United States are ASEAN’s first- and second-largest trade partners respectively. The trade war has thus put the region in an uncomfortable position.

The United States has pressured countries in