US President Donald Trump is preparing for an Asia visit that will take him across Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, attending summits, trade negotiations. Amid this, he will be meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time in years.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump's attendance at both the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summits, stating the trip to be focused on " trade talks, peace dialogues, and discussions on US-China tensions", the First Post reported.
Trump is also set to meet Japan’s first woman prime minister at the ASEAN summit, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 25-26.
Malaysia: Regional peace initiative and trade negotiations
Trump's first destination will be Kuala Lumpur, where he will host the ASEAN summit on October 25–26. Karoline Leavitt also said that POTUS' first visit will include discussions with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim regarding bilateral discussions.
The First Post report also noted that Trump will also join a signing ceremony with Thailand and Cambodia, representing efforts towards settling a long-pending border conflict that flared anew in July. The present ceasefire was brokered by Malaysia, and Washington's role is being viewed as an attempt to enhance regional stability.
Japan: Energy politics and tariff tensions
Trump, following his Malaysia visit, will have his first bilateral meeting with Japan's new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, in Tokyo. The agenda will be on supply diversification, tariff cuts, and Washington's efforts to persuade Japanese investment in the US. However, Japanese officials have labelled that as "unrealistic."
Other sensitive areas are Japan's ongoing imports of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from Russia and sharp US tariffs-15 per cent on cars and 50 per cent on steel that Tokyo wants to renegotiate. Both leaders are also set to affirm defence and technology cooperation in semiconductor and AI research.
South Korea: Xi Jinping meeting and trade closure
Trump's last destination will be Gyeongju, South Korea, to attend the APEC CEO Summit, where he will speak on economic recovery and supply chain resilience. The highlight will be his meeting with Xi Jinping on October 30, with trade tensions, fentanyl control, and rare earth exports on the agenda. The trip is also intended to seal a stalled trade agreement with Seoul, including lower tariffs and significant South Korean investments in America.
