Confirmation of Timor-Leste’s accession comes at the start of Asean’s 47th summit in Kuala Lumpur, which begins on Sunday 26 October. Myanmar’s intractable civil war and the simmering tensions between Thailand and Cambodia are likely to overshadow proceedings.

The country’s admission caps off a 14-year journey toward accession, but also presents new challenges for the Southeast Asian bloc.

Timor-Leste’s long-awaited admission into ASEAN and United States President Donald Trump’s attendance, his first since returning to office, have dominated the first day of the bloc’s 47th summit on Sunday,

Singaporeans are too strict”, “Malaysians are too soft”, “Filipinos are too noisy” and "Thais are too easygoing.”

For his first stop on a whirlwind tour of Asia, President Trump will visit Malaysia on Sunday to attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, an organization of growing global importance that represents nearly 700 million people.