Trump’s big Asia tour: Meetings with Xi Jinping, new Japan PM; trade deals and a war to settle

United States President Donald Trump is set for a major Asia visit which will take him through Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, and where he will attend high-level summits, engage in trade negotiations, and hold his first meeting in years with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the president’s itinerary includes participation in both the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summits.

“The trip will include trade talks, peace dialogues, and discussions on US-China tensions,” she said.

Trump is expected to be in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on October 25-26 for ASEAN. The visit will then proceed to Tokyo where he is set to meet Japan’s first woman prime minister.

And, finally the US President will visit Gyeongju in South Korea for a highly anticipated Xi-Trump meeting on the sidelines of APEC starting October 29.

Trump in Malaysia: ASEAN summit, semiconductors, and a fragile peace initiative

Trump’s first stop, Malaysia, will host the annual ASEAN summit from October 26 to 27. Kuala Lumpur, as the current chair of the 10-member regional bloc, will see the participation of leaders from across Southeast Asia as well as key dialogue partners.

Trump’s attendance marks his first engagement with ASEAN since 2017, having previously skipped summits in 2018, 2019, and 2020.

According to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s first day in Kuala Lumpur will include bilateral discussions with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, followed by a series of multilateral meetings with ASEAN heads of government.

The president will also take part in a working dinner with ASEAN and US leaders.

Anwar Ibrahim has described the visit as a near-concluding moment in Malaysia’s ongoing trade discussions with Washington.

“Semiconductors, AI, digital and energy are all covered,” he said, noting that negotiations were “99.9 percent” complete.

The deal is expected to be finalised during Trump’s visit and will include “initial agreements” to expand trade and investment between the two countries.

Malaysia’s economy, deeply tied to global supply chains, has been particularly affected by US tariffs. Currently, the United States imposes a 19 per cent tariff on Malaysian exports, and discussions are underway to address the possibility of additional duties on imported semiconductors.

Malaysia, the world’s sixth-largest semiconductor exporter, relies heavily on the sector, which constitutes about 40 per cent of its total exports.

The new trade framework is expected to encompass digital technology, renewable energy collaboration, and artificial intelligence integration, as both sides look to realign supply chains amid ongoing US-China tensions.

Ahead of the Xi-Trump meeting in South Korea, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will also visit Kuala Lumpur to hold separate trade negotiations with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Trump is also expected to participate in a signing ceremony with the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia, aimed at formally recognising progress toward resolving a long-standing border dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.

The conflict, which erupted again in July, resulted in dozens of deaths and displaced hundreds of thousands before Malaysia brokered a fragile ceasefire.

Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan recently told reporters that Trump was “eager” to see a peace accord signed during the summit — an agreement Washington hopes will demonstrate its continued engagement in regional stability.

The dispute concerns several undemarcated points along the 817-kilometre (508-mile) Thailand-Cambodia frontier.

For Malaysia, the US presence at the talks adds international weight to its mediation role. For Washington, it offers an opportunity to showcase diplomatic leadership at a time when regional security issues — from the South China Sea to border disputes — are increasingly influenced by Beijing’s growing assertiveness.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join the ASEAN deliberations via video conference, highlighting India’s engagement in regional forums despite recent trade tensions with the US.

Relations between New Delhi and Washington deteriorated in August after the US raised tariffs on Indian exports to 50 per cent, though both sides have since adopted a more conciliatory tone.

Trump in Japan: Energy politics, and trade balance pressures

Following the Malaysia visit, Trump will travel to Tokyo for his first meeting with Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi.

The discussions are expected to cover an extensive list of bilateral issues, ranging from tariff adjustments and investment commitments to energy supply diversification.

In July, Japan and the United States concluded a preliminary agreement that saw Washington reduce certain tariffs on Japanese exports. However, tensions remain high as the Trump administration seeks substantial new investments.

According to officials, Washington is pressing Tokyo to commit $550 billion in investments in the United States — a proposal that Japan has described as “unrealistic.”

Tokyo has stated that “only one to two per cent of that would come in the form of direct investments,” with the remainder taking the form of loans and guarantees. This divergence is likely to feature prominently in discussions between Trump and Takaichi.

Japanese exporters are also grappling with persistent tariff rates that have hindered competitiveness in key sectors.

Trump’s administration reduced duties on Japanese automobiles to 15 per cent earlier this year, but the figure is still considered high by manufacturers. Steel exports face even steeper challenges, as a 50 per cent tariff remains in place.

Another sensitive point is Japan’s continued import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia.

The United States has urged Tokyo to curtail purchases from Moscow — currently Japan’s third-largest LNG supplier — as part of Washington’s broader strategy to limit Russian revenues following the escalation of global sanctions.

Japan’s strategic importance to Washington extends beyond trade. As a key Indo-Pacific ally, Tokyo plays a central role in maintaining maritime security and balancing China’s regional influence.

Both sides are expected to reaffirm defence and technology partnerships, particularly in semiconductor production and artificial intelligence research, areas where Washington seeks to expand domestic manufacturing capacity through allied investment.

Trump in South Korea: Final negotiations, APEC, and Xi Jinping

Trump’s last stop will be South Korea, where he will attend the APEC CEO Summit in the historic city of Gyeongju.

The visit will feature both economic and diplomatic components, culminating in the much-anticipated bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly on October 30.

South Korea’s leadership is expected to focus on completing a trade and investment deal that has been under discussion for months.

Earlier this year, Trump announced an agreement to reduce tariffs on South Korean products to 15 per cent, down from 25 per cent, in exchange for Seoul committing to invest $350 billion in the US economy.

However, the final structure of this investment — including whether it will be made through direct projects or financial instruments — remains unresolved.

Kim Yong-beom, South Korea’s chief presidential secretary for policy, recently acknowledged that “both parties have made significant progress,” though “one or two issues remain unresolved.”

The talks come amid some strain in bilateral relations following a major incident in September, when US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted a raid at a South Korean-owned electric battery factory under construction in Georgia.

Around 300 South Korean workers were detained over alleged visa violations, sparking public anger in Seoul.

Despite the tension, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is expected to prioritise completing the investment agreement and securing stable trade terms. The issue of tariffs on automobiles, a long-standing point of contention, is also expected to be addressed.

The US had previously agreed to lower these tariffs from 25 per cent to 15 per cent, aligning them with the rates applied to Japan and the European Union.

While in South Korea, Trump will also address the APEC CEO Summit, which gathers leading business figures from across the Asia-Pacific region. His speech is expected to focus on economic recovery, digital innovation, and supply chain resilience.

Analysts suggest that Trump will highlight the importance of maintaining open markets while reinforcing US competitiveness in technology and manufacturing.

The central moment of the Gyeongju leg, however, will be Trump’s face-to-face meeting with Xi Jinping.

Leavitt confirmed that the meeting is scheduled for the morning of October 30, before Trump’s departure for Washington. The agenda will include trade tensions, rare earth exports, and cooperation on controlling the flow of fentanyl — a key issue in US-China relations.

Recent months have seen renewed friction between Washington and Beijing. China has tightened controls on the export of rare earth elements, critical to global electronics and defence manufacturing, while the US has threatened to impose new tariffs in response.

Trump has publicly stated his desire for a comprehensive resolution, saying he hopes to reach a “deal on everything” with Xi.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will have held preliminary meetings in Malaysia to lay groundwork for the talks.

Why Trump’s presence at ASEAN matters

Trump’s participation in the ASEAN summit comes at a pivotal moment for the region.

The United States remains the largest export destination for ASEAN economies, which collectively shipped goods worth $312 billion to the US last year — up from $142 billion in 2017.

However, Trump’s approach to regional trade since returning to office has been characterised by tariff reciprocity. The administration has introduced duties ranging from 10 to 40 per cent on several categories of imports from Southeast Asia, arguing that the measures are designed to address widening trade deficits.

ASEAN leaders, however, have warned that the policy “poses significant risks to the multilateral trading system and the stability of global supply chains.”

Countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand have faced varying levels of tariff pressure and are expected to use the ASEAN summit to negotiate improved terms.

Vietnam, for example, secured a reduction in overall export tariffs to 20 per cent earlier this year, though sector-specific duties — including a 25 per cent tariff on furniture — continue to weigh heavily on its trade balance.

Indonesia’s trade talks with the US have been temporarily suspended due to the government shutdown in Washington, delaying the finalisation of a tariff agreement that was to reduce duties on Indonesian exports to 19 per cent in exchange for major investments, including a pledge to acquire 50 Boeing aircraft.

Thailand and Cambodia, meanwhile, are drawing attention primarily due to their border conflict, where the US role could help secure long-term peace.

Trump’s participation in a trilateral signing ceremony with the two governments is expected to lend momentum to Malaysia’s mediation efforts and reaffirm Washington’s interest in regional security beyond purely economic matters.

The big question that is also doing the rounds is whether Trump will get to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un once again.

Reporting last week, CNN cited anonymous sources who said that US officials had discussed such a possibility during Trump’s Asia tour.

With inputs from agencies