U.S. President Donald Trump has departed Washington for a five-day diplomatic tour of Asia — his first visit to the region since returning to the White House — with major investment discussions and peace negotiations topping the agenda.
Trump boarded Air Force One late Friday en route to Malaysia, the first stop of a three-country trip that will also take him to Japan and South Korea. The visit comes as the U.S. government shutdown drags on, leaving many federal employees without paychecks.
“The high-level question on this trip is really, who does the United States stand with, and what does it stand for,” said Mira Rapp-Hooper, a former official in the Biden administration, dw.com reports.
Malaysia: Peace and Diplomacy at the ASEAN Summit
Trump is expected to arrive in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday morning to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
While in Malaysia, the U.S. president is expected to hold bilateral talks with Anwar and possibly oversee the signing of a peace treaty between Thailand and Cambodia — neighbors that recently clashed in brief border skirmishes in May.
Trump may also meet Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who expressed interest in discussing tariffs on Brazilian exports and rising regional tensions with Venezuela.
Japan: Strengthening Economic Ties
From Malaysia, Trump will travel to Japan and South Korea to discuss trade and investment opportunities reportedly worth around $900 billion. These talks aim to secure commitments for U.S. manufacturing projects in exchange for lower trade tariffs.
In Tokyo, Trump will meet Japan’s newly-elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi — the country’s first female leader — and will also visit American troops stationed in Japan, according to U.S. officials.
South Korea: A High-Stakes Meeting with Xi Jinping
The final leg of Trump’s trip will take him to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where he is set to hold a long-anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 30.
While Beijing has not officially confirmed the meeting, the White House’s announcement on Friday signaled Washington’s intent to ease rising tensions and resume stalled negotiations.
Relations between the two powers have soured in recent months amid an escalating trade dispute. Beijing recently imposed new export restrictions on rare earths and critical minerals, retaliating against Washington’s expanded technology export curbs.
Trump called China’s move “shocking” and threatened to impose a 100% tax on Chinese imports starting November 1. Despite earlier threats to cancel the meeting, the U.S. president later confirmed it would proceed as planned.
Analysts say the potential dialogue between Trump and Xi could mark a turning point in efforts to de-escalate trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
