Trump Starts Asia Tour with Malaysia Summit, Xi Talks Loom

AFP/APP

Kuala Lumpur: US President Donald Trump arrived in Malaysia on Sunday, launching an Asian tour expected to culminate in high-stakes trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump is scheduled to meet Xi in South Korea on the final leg of his regional trip in an effort to seal a comprehensive trade deal and end the protracted trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

As he departed Washington, Trump added intrigue to his itinerary by hinting he was “open” to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — their first potential encounter since 2019 — while on the Korean Peninsula.

The president’s three-nation tour includes stops in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, marking his first visit to Asia since returning to the White House in January amid renewed tariffs and international dealmaking.

ASEAN Summit and Regional Diplomacy

In Malaysia, Trump is attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit — a meeting he notably skipped several times during his first term.

He is also expected to sign a trade agreement with Malaysia and witness the signing of a ceasefire accord between Thailand and Cambodia, ending one of the deadliest border clashes between the two nations in decades.

“We will be signing the Peace Deal immediately upon arrival,” Trump said on social media, highlighting his role in brokering the truce.

Trump is also expected to meet Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the summit in a bid to reset relations after months of strained diplomatic exchanges.

During a refueling stop in Qatar en route to Kuala Lumpur, Trump met with Gulf leaders who are serving as guarantors of the Gaza ceasefire agreement brokered by Washington earlier this month.

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/trump-heads-to-asia-for-high-stakes-meeting-with-xi/

Focus on Tariffs and Trade

Following his Malaysia visit, Trump will travel to Tokyo on Monday, where he will meet Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi the following day.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said he looked forward to “a comprehensive deal” with China, adding that he expected Beijing to cooperate to avoid new 100 percent tariffs scheduled to take effect on November 1.

“I’ve heard great things about her,” Trump said of Takaichi, praising her as a protégé of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with whom Trump shared a close rapport.

In a phone call on Saturday, Takaichi told Trump that strengthening the Japan-US alliance would be her administration’s top diplomatic and security priority.

Japan has largely escaped the harshest of the tariffs Trump imposed globally as part of his push to address what he calls “unfair trade balances” that are “ripping off the United States.”

High-Stakes Xi Meeting in South Korea

The highlight of Trump’s trip will be his meeting with Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Trump is expected to arrive in the southern port city on Wednesday, where he will also meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

Global markets are watching the Thursday Trump-Xi summit closely, amid hopes it could ease tensions after a recent flare-up over China’s rare-earth export curbs.

Trump had earlier threatened to cancel the meeting and impose fresh tariffs but later reversed his stance, confirming the talks would proceed.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s reunification minister said there was a “considerable chance” Trump could also meet Kim Jong Un during his stay. The two leaders last met at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in 2019.

Kim has since indicated his willingness to meet again if Washington drops its precondition that Pyongyang surrender its nuclear arsenal.