US President Donald Trump has embarked on a diplomatic tour of Asia this week, culminating in a highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trade relations are expected to dominate discussions between the leaders, amidst escalating tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
President Trump’s itinerary begins in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, coinciding with the commencement of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit on Sunday. Following this, he will proceed to Japan and then South Korea, where a meeting with President Xi is planned, according to the White House.
What are the key objectives for President Trump and other regional leaders, and what potential challenges lie ahead?
Our correspondents provide insights into the significant developments to watch for this week.
By Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent
Securing new trade agreements that benefit American businesses, while maintaining tariff revenue for the US Treasury, will likely be a central focus of President Trump’s Asia trip.
While global trade involves multiple actors, China is critical to the success or failure of Trump’s agenda. The scheduled meeting with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of APEC—the first since 2019—could chart the course for US-China relations for the remainder of Trump’s second term.
As the US president has acknowledged, imposing severe tariffs on Chinese imports is unsustainable. Although not explicitly stated, an escalating economic conflict with America’s largest trading partner would have serious repercussions for the US, China, and the global economy.
The sharp declines in major US stock indexes whenever US-China relations appear strained highlight this reality.
Upon his return to the US next week, President Trump is expected to seek the finalization of a deal with South Korea and secure new Japanese investment in US manufacturing.
However, his primary goal will likely be persuading President Xi to resume purchases of American agricultural exports, ease restrictions on foreign access to Chinese rare earth materials, grant US companies greater access to the Chinese market, and avert a full-scale trade war.
For President Trump, these objectives represent the core of his mission.
By Laura Bicker, China correspondent
When Chinese leader Xi Jinping meets Trump in South Korea on October 30, he intends to approach the negotiations from a position of strength.
To this end, China is leveraging its dominance in rare earths, essential minerals for manufacturing semiconductors, weapons systems, automobiles, and smartphones. China is exploiting this vulnerability—as it is hurting American farmers, and Trump’s rural voter base, by curtailing soybean purchases.
President Xi has also learned from the past, and Beijing appears willing to endure the impact of tariffs this time. Notably, the US, which once accounted for a fifth of Chinese exports, is no longer as critical a market.
Nevertheless, President Xi faces a balancing act between an economic standoff with the US and domestic challenges. Washington is aware of these challenges, including high youth unemployment, a real estate crisis, mounting local government debt, and subdued consumer spending.
Analysts suggest China may offer a deal if President Trump agrees to export advanced AI chips or reduce military support for Taiwan.
However, achieving this will not be straightforward. A key difference is that President Trump often appears willing to take risks, while President Xi is pursuing a long-term strategy.
The question remains: can President Trump afford to wait?
By Jonathan Head, South East Asia correspondent
During his visit to Malaysia, the US president’s primary focus appears to be a ceremony arranged specifically for him, where Thailand and Cambodia will sign a peace accord.
Despite unresolved border disputes, both countries have made progress in agreeing to demilitarize the border, under pressure to achieve a tangible outcome.
Neither country can afford to disappoint President Trump. In July, amidst ongoing bombing and shelling, his threat to end tariff talks prompted an immediate ceasefire.
Other ASEAN member states hope that President Trump’s mere presence will normalize relations with the US.
They have endured a turbulent year, with their export-dependent economies significantly impacted by his tariff war. Exports from the region to the US have doubled since President Trump’s last visit to the ASEAN summit in 2017.
Once President Trump departs, the other leaders can resume normal business—the quiet, incremental diplomacy that advances the slow progress of integration among them.
Also on the agenda is the civil war in Myanmar, a conflict that has not garnered President Trump’s attention but has haunted every ASEAN gathering since the brutal coup in 2021.
By Suranjana Tewari, Asia business correspondent
Asia’s manufacturing powerhouses, responsible for a significant portion of global output, will be seeking relief from President Trump’s tariffs.
Some have reached agreements, while others remain in negotiations—but none have finalized a deal.
Signed agreements, or at least promising talks, would be welcomed.
The meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi signals progress, but significant issues remain, from levies and export controls to the underlying rivalry between the world’s two largest economies for dominance in AI and advanced technology.
Easing these tensions would provide relief to other countries in the region caught in the middle. Southeast Asia is particularly vulnerable, deeply integrated into US supply chains in electronics, yet heavily reliant on Chinese demand.
Exports to the US have doubled over the past decade, but tariffs ranging from 10% to 40% would severely impact manufacturers in Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand.
It could also harm US chipmakers like Micron Technology, which operates plants in Malaysia. The country exported approximately $10 billion worth of semiconductors to the US last year, representing roughly a fifth of total US chip imports.
Wealthy economies like Japan and South Korea face a different challenge.
Despite being close US allies, they face an unpredictable environment and will seek to secure tariff terms and investments. Automakers in both countries, which consider the US a key market, are already struggling to navigate the uncertainty.
By Shaimaa Khalil, Japan correspondent
President Trump has described Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, as a leader with great “strength and wisdom.”
This week, her ability to establish a stable, working relationship with him will serve as an early test of her leadership and Japan’s role in a changing global order.
In her inaugural speech in parliament, she pledged to increase Japan’s defense budget, signaling her intention to share more of the security burden with Washington.
President Trump has previously addressed this issue and is expected to urge Tokyo to increase its contribution to US troop deployments—Japan hosts the largest contingent of American forces abroad, approximately 53,000 personnel.
Both sides also aim to finalize a tariff agreement negotiated by her predecessor.
Particularly beneficial to Japan’s auto giants—Toyota, Honda, and Nissan—it reduces US import duties on Japanese cars from 27.5% to 15%, potentially enhancing their competitiveness against Chinese rivals.
By retaining Ryosei Akazawa as chief tariff negotiator, Prime Minister Takaichi is signaling continuity.
In return, Japan has committed to investing $550 billion in the US to strengthen supply chains in pharmaceuticals and semiconductors.
President Trump has also stated that Japan will increase purchases of US farm products, including rice, a move welcomed in Washington but concerning for Japanese farmers.
Prime Minister Takaichi’s ties to the late former PM Shinzo Abe, who shared a close rapport with President Trump, could also be advantageous.
Abe famously utilized rounds of golf at Mar-a-Lago to cultivate President Trump’s trust—a form of personal diplomacy that Takaichi may seek to emulate.
By Jake Kwon, Seoul correspondent
For South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, the primary concern is President Trump’s tariffs.
However, this issue was temporarily overshadowed by speculation that President Trump might visit the border to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
In August, President Lee dedicated much of his time in the Oval Office to praising President Trump as a “peacemaker.” President Trump responded enthusiastically to the possibility of meeting with Kim, whom he hasn’t seen since 2019. Kim stated last month that he still remembers President Trump “fondly.”
Analysts believe Kim hopes to legitimize his nuclear weapons program through another summit with the US president. There is no indication that a meeting is planned.
Regardless, President Lee has a trade deal to negotiate. Talks to reduce US duties on South Korean exports from 25% to 15% have stalled, despite numerous trips by Seoul officials to Washington. The sticking point is President Trump’s insistence that Seoul invest $350 billion upfront in the US—a massive investment that could potentially trigger a financial crisis, according to Seoul.
However, Korean officials have recently expressed optimism, citing tangible progress. They hope for a signed agreement by the end of Wednesday’s summit between Presidents Trump and Lee.
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