Trump embarks on an Asian tour during which he will meet Xi Jinping
US President Donald Trump headed to Asia on Saturday for an important tour that will culminate in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, considered crucial to the global economy.
Speaking on Air Force One, Trump said he looked forward to a “very good meeting” with Xi, anticipating reaching an agreement with China to avoid the imposition of additional 100 percent tariffs, which are scheduled to take effect on November 1.
Trump Asian tour includes Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, as these countries are expected to warmly welcome the US president in an attempt to secure better terms on tariffs and security guarantees.
A senior US official said Friday that Trump “will fulfill his promises to the American people in one of the world’s most economically dynamic regions by signing a series of economic agreements,” particularly on rare earths.
In Kuala Lumpur, Trump will participate on Sunday in the ASEAN summit, a forum he has repeatedly ignored during his first presidential term.
He is expected to conclude a trade agreement with Malaysia and, in particular, to participate in the signing of the peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia.
After a military confrontation that lasted several days, the two neighboring countries reached a ceasefire on July 29, following Trump’s intervention.
Trump said he intends to meet his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit.
The two men began to ease tensions between them after months of tensions primarily related to the trial, subsequent conviction, and subsequent imprisonment of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right ally of Trump.
Trump then heads to Japan on Monday, where he will meet Tuesday with nationalist Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who this week became the country’s first female prime minister.
The latter confirmed that she wanted frank discussions with the US President.
Tokyo signed a trade agreement with Washington over the summer, but some details still need to be discussed.
However, the main stop on Trump’s tour will be South Korea, where he is expected to arrive on Wednesday to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, on the sidelines of which he will meet with Xi Jinping on Thursday in Gyeongju.
Trump had hinted that the meeting between the world’s two most powerful economies, which are locked in a trade war, might not take place.
China and the United States began new trade negotiations in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, according to official Chinese media.
Trump expressed hope of reaching an agreement with the Chinese president on all issues, while stressing that he particularly intends to discuss economic and trade relations, according to the same senior US official.
This meeting takes on added significance since China announced a reduction in its exports of rare earths after Trump threatened to impose additional tariffs of 100% on Chinese products.
The US president will also meet with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jae-myung, during the summit, deliver a speech to business leaders, and participate in a dinner for APEC leaders, the White House said.
