Trump Begins Asia Tour With Malaysia Summit Ahead of Meeting Xi

Trump is set to meet Xi in South Korea on the final day of his regional push to seal a deal to end the devastating trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

As he left Washington, Trump said he was “open to that,” adding to speculation that he might meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on the Korean peninsula for the first time since 2019.

The US president will also visit Japan in his first trip to Asia since returning to the White House in January over tariffs and international agreements.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he hoped to make a “comprehensive agreement” with Xi, adding that he expected China to make a deal to avoid additional 100 percent tariffs that would take effect on November 1.

On Sunday in Malaysia, Trump will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, which he skipped several times during his first term.

He is also preparing to sign a trade agreement with Malaysia and will also witness the signing of the ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia.

“We will sign the Peace Agreement as soon as we get it,” Trump said of the ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, which he brokered on social media after the deadliest clashes in decades.

Trump said he expected to meet Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit to improve ties with the left-wing leader after months of hostility.

During a refueling stop in Qatar on his way back from Washington, the US president met with the leaders of the Gulf emirate, which is among the guarantors of the Gaza ceasefire agreement spearheaded by Trump.

– Tariff negotiations –

After Malaysia, Trump is expected to arrive in Tokyo on Monday and meet with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi the next day.

The US leader said he had heard “great things about him” and welcomed the fact that he was an aide to assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe, with whom he had close ties.

Takaichi said he told Trump in a phone call on Saturday that “strengthening the Japan-US alliance is my administration’s top priority on the diplomatic and security front.”

Japan has been spared the worst of the tariffs Trump imposed on countries around the world to end unfair trade balances that were “robbing the United States.”

The highlight of the trip is expected to be South Korea, where Trump will meet with Xi for the first time since returning to office.

Trump will land in the southern port city of Busan on Wednesday and meet with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Global markets on Thursday will be watching closely to see whether the meeting with Xi can halt the trade war sparked by Trump’s sweeping tariffs, especially after a recent dispute over Beijing’s rare earth restrictions.

Trump initially threatened to cancel the meeting and announced new 100 percent tariffs during that debate, then said he would proceed.

South Korea’s reunification minister said the possibility of Trump and North Korean leader Kim also meeting was “significant”.

The two leaders last met during Trump’s first term at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas.

Kim also said he would be open to meeting with the US president if Washington drops its demand that Pyongyang give up its nuclear arsenal.