Trump says he would be open to meeting Kim Jong-un as he embarks on whirlwind Asia tour | US foreign policy
Donald Trump is on a tour of Asia where he is expected to take part in high-stakes trade talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and told reporters he is also open to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Trump, who left Washington on Friday night, is preparing for a five-day trip to Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, his first visit to the region since taking office in January.
Trump is set to meet Xi on the last day of his trip to sign a deal to end the devastating trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he hoped to have a “very good meeting” with Xi, adding that he expected China to make a deal to avoid 100% tariffs that would go into effect on November 1.
As he left Washington, Trump fueled speculation that he might meet with Kim Jong-un for the first time since 2019 while he was on the Korean peninsula.
“I would. If you want to announce it, I’m open to it,” Trump said on the presidential plane. “I had a great relationship with him.”
Regarding North Korea’s request to be recognized as a nuclear state as a precondition for dialogue with Washington, Trump responded: “I think they are some kind of nuclear power.
“When you say they should be recognized as a nuclear power, they have a lot of nuclear weapons, that’s what I’ll say.”
The two leaders met three times during Trump’s first term. 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.
South Korea’s reunification minister said Friday that the possibility of Trump and Kim meeting while the US leader is in South Korea is “substantial,” and CNN reported last weekend, citing unnamed sources, that they discussed arranging a meeting during the visit of US officials.
But before leaving the United States on Friday, US officials sought to quell speculation by telling reporters there were no current plans to meet with the North Korean leader.
Trump’s first stop will be Malaysia, where he will arrive for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit on Sunday. There he is expected to sign a trade agreement with Malaysia and oversee the signing of a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia.
He also said he expected to meet Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the summit to improve relations after months of hostility.
Trump’s next target will be Tokyo this week, where he will meet Sanae Takaichi, who has been named Japan’s first female prime minister.
But the highlight of the trip is expected to be South Korea, where Trump will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit and meet with Xi for the first time since returning to office.
Global markets will be watching to see whether the two men can stem the trade war sparked by Trump’s sweeping tariffs earlier this year, especially after a recent dispute over Beijing’s restrictions on rare earths.
Trump initially threatened to cancel the meeting and announced new 100% tariffs during that debate, then said he would proceed.
An interim deal could include limited relief on tariffs, an extension of existing rates or a commitment by China to buy U.S.-made soybeans and Boeing planes. Beijing reneged on similar promises in the 2020 deal with Trump.
Beyond trade, the two leaders are expected to discuss Taiwan and China’s ally Russia, which is currently subject to expanded U.S. sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
Before leaving the White House for the trip on Friday, Trump told reporters that he expected the Taiwan issue to come up in his talks with Xi.
Trump also said he would likely raise the issue of releasing Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper. Lai is serving a prison sentence in Hong Kong under national security laws imposed by Beijing.
Trump told reporters, “It’s on my list. I’ll ask… Let’s see what happens.”
With Reuters and Agence France-Presse
