Duterte hosts gala dinner for Trump, 19 other world leaders
United States President Donald J. Trump arrived just in time to make a quick change into “barong” and attend the gala dinner hosted by President Duterte at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City for state leaders who are in town for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Summit and Related Meetings.
“Just landed in the Philippines after a great day of meetings in Hanoi, Vietnam,” Trump said in a Tweet posted at 6:21 p.m. Officially, Air Force One arrived at 5:45 p.m. at the Balagbag runway near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The US president made it on time at the special gala dinner hosted by Duterte for the visiting leaders in celebration of the 50th founding anniversary of the ASEAN at the SMX.
Duterte, with his life partner Honeylet Avanceña, posed for photographs as he greeted Trump and other leaders one by one as they arrived at the convention center for the glitzy event.
Trump and Duterte shook hands twice and exchanged pleasantries before the leaders posed for a group photo and everyone filed into dinner.
Trump joined his fellow leaders in wearing Philippine formal attire – the Barong Tagalog.
Duterte sat to Trump’s left at dinner and they engaged in conversation before the first course was served.
Trump and Duterte will hold more formal talks today.
In his opening remarks at the Special Gala Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN attended by 20 world leaders, cited how the 10-nation region has established engagement with other dialogue partners.
“Beyond our regional borders, we, as ASEAN citizens, are steadfast in building an ASEAN Community that is united by [our] shared history, values, and aspirations,” Duterte said.
“We continue to harmonize the three pillars of the ASEAN Community by strengthening economic integration and building a common identity, while embracing our uniqueness and diversity,” he added.
“I am deeply honored to host this rare occasion where a number of world leaders are gathered in celebration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN,” he added.
Duterte thanked the world leaders for joining in the commemoration of the gains that ASEAN has achieved over the years.
Earlier Sunday, more world leaders arrived at the Clark International Airport (CRK) in Pampanga and NAIA in Pasay City for the summit which coincides with the ASEAN’s 50th anniversary.
Like Trump, seven other foreign leaders who landed Sunday at the NAIA on board their respective official aircraft were Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Earlier UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also arrived at the NAIA.
Meanwhile, among the leaders who who arrived at CRK in Pampanga were Laos Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Bligh Turnbull, and Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Last Saturday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Republic of the Union of Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi already arrived in the country on Saturday.
As of press time, organizers said European Union President Donald Tusk and Timor Leste PM Rui Maria de Araújo were set to arrive later last night.