View from Manila: ASEAN tariff talks continue, and a ‘milestone’ on South China Sea negos

MANILA, Philippines — More than a week after United States President Donald Trump Jr. launched a global trade war through what he has insisted are “reciprocal tariffs,” Southeast Asia’s economic managers finally spoke out — not to condemn the Western superpower, but to signal a desire to “engage in a frank and constructive dialogue” over trade issues.“Open communication and collaboration will be crucial to ensuring a balanced and sustainable relationship. In that spirit, ASEAN commits to not impose any retaliatory measures in response to the US tariffs,” read a joint statement by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economic ministers, following a virtual meeting on April 10.The statement was issued just after the US President paused most of the “reciprocal tariffs” as he seemed to buckle over chaos in the financial market and an “unsettling surge in US government bond yields that appeared to catch Trump’s attention,” according to Reuters.Before the pause, countries from...