Even some top honchos will mark a first at the ASEAN Summit, too. 

Of course, leaders of the 10 ASEAN member states are present: Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim, Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia’s Hun Manet, Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto, Laos’ Sonexay Siphandone, Philippines’ Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Singapore’s Lawrence Wong, Thailand ’s Anutin Charnvirakul and Vietnam’s Pham Minh Chinh. 

Only Myanmar’s titular leader, Min Aung Hlaing, will not attend the high-level summit. A military junta leader, he has been banned from the ASEAN Summit since 2021 for rejecting the bloc’s five-point peace plan. 

Sanae Takaichi, the new leader of the big continental player Japan, will mark her diplomatic debut in Kuala Lumpur. There, she is expected to talk with US President Donald Trump about their strategic alliance in the contested waters region.

Parallels have been drawn between Takaichi and Trump; both rose to power by climbing the conservative ranks, have been viewed as polarising leaders, and have had a hardliner stance on immigration . 

Trump himself marks a first in ASEAN. It will be the first stop of his three-country Asia tour that will also include Japan and then South Korea, which is his first journey around the region since returning to the White House in 2024. 

On the other end of the global powers totem, China’s delegation will be led by Premier Li Qiang. Other attendees from Asia-Pacific include Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. 

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Canrey will be present, too. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend, albeit virtually. 

Non-state leaders who will participate include United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific Carlos Jaramillo. 

These leaders are expected to pore over some of the most contentious issues hounding Southeast Asia, including threats of Chinese aggression, border disputes between member states Thailand and Cambodia, and Trump’s tariffs. 

Takaichi cites British conservative politician Margaret Thatcher as an influence, though many have been quick to draw parallels between Japan’s likely new leader and former U.S. President Donald Trump — both known for their nationalist rhetoric and hardline positions on immigration.

Trump even congratulated Takaichi in a post on Truth Social, though without naming her.

"Japan has just elected its first female Prime Minister, a highly respected person of great wisdom and strength. This is tremendous news for the incredible people of Japan. Congratulations to all!" Trump wrote on Monday.

In response, Takaichi thanked Trump and said she looked forward to working with Washington, which has been a treaty ally of Japan since 1952 and remains Tokyo’s most important strategic partner.

"Truly hoping to work together with President Trump to make our Alliance even stronger and more prosperous, and to advance a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” Sanae said.

What makes people think Takaichi is another Trump?

Ultra-conservative worldview

Takaichi’s positions on gender, the family, and national identity remain rooted in traditional conservatism. 

She backs the imperial family’s male-only line of succession. She opposes same-sex marriage. She supports financial aid for women’s health and fertility treatment, but also maintains that women should continue to honour their roles as mothers and wives. She rejects calls to amend Japan’s century-old civil code to allow married couples to retain separate surnames.

Takaichi is a regular visitor to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honours Japan’s war dead, including convicted war criminals, a practice that often provokes criticism from China and South Korea. She has declined to say whether she would continue the visits as prime minister.

Within the LDP, women who have advocated gender equality have often been sidelined. Takaichi, however, has retained influence by aligning with the party’s conservative establishment, staying loyal to its traditional values even as she becomes the face of its future.

Hard line on immigration

During her campaign, Takaichi aligned herself with calls for tighter immigration controls, arguing that Japan needed to protect public order and establish a central authority to oversee matters concerning foreigners. 

She criticised unruly behaviour by tourists in her native Nara and spoke of the need to enforce rules more strictly for both visitors and residents.

Her stance reflects a broader public unease over immigration as Japan’s foreign population reaches record highs. 

More than 3.7 million foreigners now live in Japan — roughly 3% of its population — and the foreign workforce has tripled in the past decade to 2.3 million. Most are employed in manufacturing, retail, farming, and fishing, sectors hit hard by labour shortages.

While Takaichi has not explicitly endorsed anti-immigrant rhetoric, her proposals for a new “command centre” to manage foreign residents have been met with scepticism. According to National Police Agency data, crime rates among foreigners remain low. 

Takaichi had said her vision for a stricter policy for foreigners won’t border on exclusion or even xenophobia.

“If the public is genuinely feeling anxious, we must find a path to resolve those concerns,” she said. “This is not about xenophobia or exclusion (of foreigners)...My intention was to raise issues necessary for coexistence, not to create division.”

Iron Lady

Takaichi, who has branded herself Japan’s “Iron Lady,” said in her first address as LDP leader that she was ready to abandon “work-life balance” and “work like a horse” — a remark that drew mixed reactions online, given Japan’s population crisis is often linked to its punishing work culture .

Still, if Takaichi intends to fulfil her pledge to “work, work, work and work,” she faces a daunting agenda.

Japan’s economy remains sluggish, and its public debt continues to outstrip its total output. To revive growth, she is expected to lean on the policies of the late Shinzo Abe, embracing “Abenomics” — a mix of ultra-low interest rates and aggressive government spending.

Her promises and political resolve will soon be tested. The Diet is set to vote on October 15 to formally confirm Japan’s first female prime minister.

“The most concerning is the distressing dehumanisation of a world with selective emotions based on interests and geopolitical stakes,” Faye said. “There can be no justice based on law when what serves as international order is governed by the logic of double standards, by the law of the strongest and partisan spirit,” he remarked.

Faye warned that Africa remains on the front lines of insecurity, facing armed conflicts, terrorism in the Sahel, transnational crime, and political instability. He called for an integrated response combining prevention, resilience, and responsibility, backed by predictable and sustainable funding for African peace support operations. 

Turning to economic reform, the Senegalese leader said the current global financial system fails to serve developing nations. Faye also pressed for the full implementation of the Seville Commitment and the Sustainable Development Goals, arguing these reforms are essential to guarantee universal access to healthcare, water , food, education, energy, and digital technology.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez put forward two proposals: full UN membership for Palestine and immediate steps to halt the bloodshed.“Spain will adopt a plan with measures to halt the genocide in Gaza ,” he said. “History will judge those who perpetrated this barbarity or remained silent. Let us side with rationality, with diplomacy.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underscored the EU’s financial backing for Palestinian institutions.“Europe has been the lifeline of the Palestinian Authority, providing 1.6 billion euros. We will set up a dedicated instrument for Gaza's reconstruction and coordinate with other donors to relaunch the Palestinian economy,” she said.

From the Middle East , Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad bin Sultan Al Muraikhi warned that the conflict threatens the region far beyond Gaza.“Israel's military campaign targeted several countries, including Qatar, where an attack on Doha killed six civilians and violated international law. We hold the Israeli government fully responsible,” he told the gathering.

The UAE also weighed in, with Minister of State Khalifa bin Shaheen Al Marar urging a renewed push for Palestinian statehood. He called for a “clear political horizon and binding roadmap for an independent Palestinian state.”

The remarks came as several Western nations — including the UK, France, Canada, and Australia — confirmed they will formally recognise the State of Palestine.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the move, insisting it would endanger Israel’s survival and “reward terrorism.”

The mounting international response comes against a backdrop of severe civilian harm in Gaza. According to Palestinian health authorities , more than 60,000 people have died in the conflict, including a significant portion who are women, children, or the elderly.

Meanwhile, a new report by a UN Commission of Inquiry accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, charging that official statements and ground operations show intent to inflict life-threatening conditions on civilians. Israel has rejected the report as biased.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly opposed recent recognitions of Palestinian statehood. He insists that recognising such a state now would risk Israel’s survival and constitute a reward for terrorism. These recognitions, meanwhile, are seen by many international actors as a symbolic but crucial step to signal shifting norms.

The ongoing debates at UNGA focus on the need for a ceasefire, reconstruction aid, inclusion in governance (excluding Hamas), and setting the conditions for a viable, independent Palestinian state.