Trump begins Asia tour with Malaysia, Xi talks ahead

Trump begins Asia tour with Malaysia, Xi talks ahead

US President Donald Trump arrived in Malaysia on Sunday, beginning an Asian tour that includes high-stakes trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump is expected to meet Xi in South Korea at the end of his regional visit, aiming to strike a deal to end the prolonged trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

Before leaving Washington, Trump hinted that he might meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the first time since 2019, saying he was “open to it” while on the Korean peninsula.

The president’s itinerary also includes Japan — his first trip to Asia since returning to the White House in January — where he hopes to strengthen ties with regional allies amid ongoing tariff disputes.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said he was seeking a “comprehensive deal” with Xi and expected Beijing to compromise to avoid new 100 percent tariffs set to take effect on November 1.

In Malaysia, Trump is attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, which he had skipped several times during his first term. He is also expected to sign a trade agreement with Malaysia and witness a ceasefire deal between Thailand and Cambodia.

“We will be signing the Peace Deal immediately upon arrival,” Trump wrote on social media, referring to the truce he helped broker following the deadliest border clashes between the two neighbours in decades.

Trump is also scheduled to meet Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit to repair strained relations.

During a refuelling stop in Qatar en route to Malaysia, Trump met with leaders of the Gulf nation, one of the guarantors of the Gaza ceasefire deal facilitated by Washington.

After Malaysia, Trump will head to Japan, where he will meet new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Trump praised her as a protégé of the late leader Shinzo Abe, with whom he had close ties. Takaichi said she told Trump that strengthening the Japan-US alliance was her top diplomatic priority.

Japan has largely escaped the brunt of Trump’s global tariffs, imposed to correct what he calls “unfair trade imbalances” hurting the United States.

The tour’s highlight will be Trump’s meeting with Xi in South Korea, their first since Trump’s return to office. He will land in the southern port city of Busan on Wednesday ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

Global markets will closely watch Thursday’s meeting between Trump and Xi for signs of progress in ending the trade war, especially following recent tensions over China’s rare-earth export restrictions.

South Korea’s reunification minister said there was a “considerable” chance that Trump could also meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The two last met in the Demilitarized Zone separating the Koreas during Trump’s first term.

Kim has indicated his willingness to meet again if Washington drops its demand that Pyongyang abandon its nuclear arsenal.