Trade talks with Xi and a potential meeting with Kim are on the agenda for Trump’s trip to the ASEAN summit
On Friday, US President Donald Trump departed Washington for a trip to three Asian countries. On the fringes of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference, he will visit Japan, attend the ASEAN conference in Malaysia, and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. During his trip to South Korea, Trump has also indicated that he would want to see Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea.
The trip’s high point is anticipated to be the South Korea segment. Ahead of the APEC meeting, Trump is scheduled to arrive in Busan on Wednesday. He will entertain US IT CEOs for dinner, speak at an APEC lunch with business leaders, and meet with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. In an attempt to end the trade war that has rocked world markets this year, particularly in the wake of disagreements over rare earth minerals, he will meet Xi on Thursday for the first time since returning to the White House.
Trump eventually reaffirmed that the summit will go, despite his early threats to call it off and slap fresh penalties over the minerals issue. According to a senior US source, the president is primarily interested in talking about the trade and economic ties. As his government continues to put pressure on Beijing to stop the flow of illicit substances, Trump himself said that fentanyl trafficking will also be at the top of the agenda.
Trump will be attending the ASEAN conference for the first time since his first term in Kuala Lumpur. On Sunday, he will meet with Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister of Malaysia, and then sign a deal with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia. Trump had threatened to halt trade agreements if the violence persisted, and he has credited Ibrahim for helping to ease tensions between Thailand and Cambodia. After months of hostility, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva may also visit Trump on the sidelines to patch things up.
Trump will meet Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s recently appointed prime minister, on Tuesday in Tokyo, his next destination. Trump claims that worldwide tariffs are required to address trade imbalances, but Japan has mostly avoided the brunt of these measures.
The trip takes place during the US government shutdown, which has caused airline delays, missed wages for many federal employees, and impending cutbacks to food assistance. The timing was attacked by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who said, “America is shut down and the President is skipping town.” Trump seems to be moving on with his global engagements and trade goals in spite of the home crises.