Trump Begins Asia Trip Focused on Securing Trade Pact With Xi Jinping

President Donald Trump landed in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday morning, opening a six-day tour across Asia that centers on negotiations with Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed at ending a prolonged trade dispute between Washington and Beijing.

Air Force One touched down at Kuala Lumpur International Airport shortly after 10 a.m. local time. Upon arrival, Trump was greeted on the tarmac by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim before attending a brief cultural ceremony featuring local performers. The president next plans to meet privately with Anwar and participate in sessions of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit being held in the Malaysian capital.

Early bilateral outreach

Even before his aircraft reached Malaysian airspace, Trump posted on his social media platform that he intends to confer with Thailand’s Prime Minister in Kuala Lumpur and witness the signing of a peace accord between Thailand and Cambodia. The post also offered condolences for the recent death of Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit.

During meetings at ASEAN, the president is expected to discuss regional security, supply-chain resilience and joint infrastructure projects. U.S. officials accompanying the delegation said no new agreements are scheduled for signature in Malaysia, but emphasized the administration’s desire to “re-energize” cooperation with Southeast Asian partners.

Showdown with Beijing

The most closely watched stop occurs Thursday in Busan, South Korea, where Trump and Xi are slated to hold a bilateral session at the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. U.S.-China relations stabilized temporarily over the summer when both sides reduced certain tariffs, yet frictions escalated this month after Beijing imposed tighter export controls on rare-earth minerals used in electronics and renewable-energy technologies.

The White House views those controls as a direct threat to global manufacturing and has labeled them “economic coercion.” In response, Trump warned that the United States will apply an additional 100 percent tariff on all Chinese imports starting Nov. 1 if negotiations fail to produce an agreement. Despite the ultimatum, the president has struck an optimistic note, telling reporters last week that he expects “a good deal” that could cover Chinese purchases of American soybeans and potentially address nuclear-related issues.

For background on the economic stakes of rare-earth supplies, the U.S. Geological Survey offers detailed analysis.

Stops in Japan and South Korea

After leaving Malaysia, Trump travels to Tokyo for talks with Japan’s newly installed prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, the first woman to lead the country. Although the United States and Japan concluded a limited trade pact during Trump’s first term, both leaders intend to showcase deepening commercial ties and discuss regional defense cooperation.

On Wednesday, the president heads to Busan for the APEC gathering. His schedule there includes a bilateral meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, keynote remarks at the APEC CEO luncheon and participation in an evening working dinner.

Imagem: Internet

The visit follows friction between Washington and Seoul after more than 400 South Korean employees at a Hyundai plant in Georgia were arrested and deported during a U.S. immigration sweep. Hyundai had invested billions of dollars in the facility to mitigate American tariff policies, and the detentions raised questions about the availability of foreign labor in U.S. manufacturing projects. White House aides said Trump will use the Busan meetings to reassure Korean investors of the administration’s commitment to predictable business conditions.

Talks with Canada and other issues

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is also expected at both ASEAN and APEC. Administration officials confirmed that Trump and Carney will discuss their latest trade disagreement, which erupted last week after Ontario aired an advertisement from 1987 featuring Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs. Trump terminated ongoing trade negotiations with Ottawa in reaction to the spot, calling it an attempt to sway a forthcoming Supreme Court case on presidential tariff authority.

Beyond trade, the trip comes days after Washington announced expanded sanctions on Russian oil companies. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the measures are already prompting China and India to scale back purchases of Russian crude, a claim U.S. diplomats are likely to reiterate during meetings with Asian counterparts.

Context of second-term diplomacy

While Trump attended several ASEAN and APEC summits during his first term, this journey is his most extensive engagement with Asian leaders since returning to office in January 2025. Diplomats across the region continue to adapt to the administration’s rapid shifts in trade policy, and officials traveling with the president say the tour is designed to provide clarity on U.S. economic priorities.

According to the White House, Trump will depart Busan late Thursday evening and return directly to Washington, where domestic political negotiations over tariff legislation are set to resume next week.

Crédito da imagem: Mark Schiefelbein/AP; Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters