Donald Trump's late arrival won't delay ASEAN summit closing — spox

MANILA, Philippines — United States President Donald Trump's late arrival to the 49th ASEAN summit next week will not push back its closing, its spokesperson said Friday, November 13, with a "special" ASEAN–US meeting still set to cap the final day of the three-day gathering.

Trump is not expected to arrive in the Philippines until 5:30 p.m. on November 17, the third day of the summit proper, based on the latest media advisory of the ASEAN's organizers to the press.  

The formal close of the ASEAN Summit — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s press conference — is due to start 6 p.m. or half an hour after Trump's scheduled plane arrival.

"Nothing will be pushed back. We will proceed as planned," Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Dominic Xavier Imperial, the Philippines' ASEAN spokesperson, told reporters when asked whether the closing ceremony would wait for Trump. 

He said the ASEAN–US Special Summit would go ahead despite the US leader's later arrival.

US-ASEAN special talks

Trump's expected to speak in a more candid and frank format with other regional leaders during the "special" summit. 

Participation in this is limited to leaders, which Imperial said would allow them to "candidly discuss the agenda" and agree on measures to be addressed. Apart from that, the meeting would follow the usual conduct of a summit, he said.

The DFA official earlier confirmed that Trump and Marcos would have a bilateral engagement before he leaves Manila for China to attend the APEC summit.