Trump Heads to Asia for High-Stakes Meeting with Xi

AFP/APP

Washington: US President Donald Trump embarks on a major trip to Asia this week, with all eyes on his upcoming meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping — a high-stakes encounter carrying significant implications for the global economy.

Trump said Wednesday he was making a “big trip” to Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea — his first visit to the region since returning to the White House in a blaze of tariffs and geopolitical brinkmanship.

The highlight of the tour will be his talks with Xi in South Korea, which the White House confirmed will take place on October 30, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Observers say the Trump-Xi meeting could shape the trajectory of global trade, amid heightened tensions over tariffs, technology, and security issues between Washington and Beijing.

Trump Says All Canada Trade Talks ‘Terminated’

US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he was ending trade talks with Canada over an anti-tariff advertising campaign, marking a sudden reversal soon after what had appeared to be a cordial White House meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Taking to his Truth Social platform, Trump lashed out at what he called a “fake” advertisement that he said misquoted former president Ronald Reagan on tariff policy.

Trump claimed the campaign — produced by the Canadian province of Ontario and set to air on US television channels — was designed to “interfere with the decision of the US Supreme Court,” which is expected to rule on his sweeping global tariffs.

“Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” Trump posted.

There was no immediate comment from Canadian officials. In a budget speech on Wednesday, Prime Minister Carney had said Washington’s “fundamentally changed” trade policy required Ottawa to revamp its economic strategy.

Trump added that “the Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs.”

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute said on X that the Ontario government had used “selective audio and video” from a 1987 radio address by Reagan, misrepresenting his remarks. It added that the foundation was “reviewing its legal options.”

The ad quoted Reagan as warning that “high tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars,” a line consistent with transcripts available on the Reagan Library’s website.

The latest twist comes just over two weeks after Carney visited Trump at the White House to seek a relaxation of stiff US tariffs. At the time, Trump had described Carney as a “world-class leader” and said the Canadian premier would “walk away very happy” from their discussion.

Trump’s sweeping tariffs — particularly on steel, aluminum, and automobiles — have hit Canada hard, triggering job losses and economic strain.

For now, both countries continue to adhere to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which keeps roughly 85 percent of cross-border trade tariff-free.