WASHINGTON, Oct 25 — US President Donald Trump left Washington on Friday for a week-long tour of Asia, with planned stops in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea that will culminate in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
According to the White House, Trump will begin his visit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, where he will participate in the ASEAN Summit hosted by Malaysia, which currently chairs the 10-member regional bloc. It will mark Trump’s first in-person participation in the ASEAN meetings since 2017.
“The President will meet President Xi Jinping on the morning of October 30 in South Korea before returning to Washington,” White House Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday.
While in Kuala Lumpur, Trump is scheduled to hold an expanded bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday afternoon, followed by a signing ceremony with the Prime Ministers of Cambodia and Thailand. Their countries recently resolved a brief border conflict that left dozens dead and displaced several families.
Later that evening, Trump will attend a working dinner with ASEAN leaders, where discussions will focus on regional security, trade relations, and maritime stability.
The White House noted that Trump’s three-nation trip will advance Washington’s strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific, covering trade pacts, peace dialogues, and US-China tensions.
From Malaysia, Trump will fly to Tokyo for talks with Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi. The leaders are expected to discuss bilateral trade, security cooperation, and the ongoing transition in Japan’s defense posture.
His final stop will be South Korea, where he will participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Gyeongju and meet President Lee Jae Myung. Trump is expected to deliver an address to business leaders, reaffirming the US commitment to regional economic partnerships.
The White House said the upcoming meeting with Xi Jinping will focus on trade frictions, rare earth exports, and cooperation on the fentanyl crisis. Through these engagements, officials said, Trump hopes to strengthen economic ties, negotiate lower tariffs, and reinforce Washington’s influence across Asia.
