US President Donald Trump left late Friday for a three-nation tour of Asia with investment deals and peace efforts on his agenda, while the US government shutdown continues with no deal in sight.
Trump’s five-day visit to the region will include stops in Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, Japan for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and then South Korea.
In South Korea, Trump is set to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping, marking the first time the leaders will meet in person during Trump’s second term.
“The high-level question on this trip is really where the United States stands and what that means,” said Mira Rapp-Hooper, a former Biden administration official.
But as the US President left for Asia, many federal employees missed their first full payday due to the government shutdown.
Here is their schedule:
Trump in Malaysia
Trump is expected to arrive in Malaysia on Sunday morning for the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. On his first day he is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Awar Ibrahim.
Subsequently, he could have overseen the signing of a peace treaty between Thailand and Cambodia, the neighboring country involved in brief clashes in May.
Trump is also expected to meet with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who said he is willing to discuss a range of topics if he meets the US president, including tariffs on Brazilian exports and tensions with Venezuela.
Trump in Japan
After Malaysia, Trump will travel to Japan and South Korea where he is likely to discuss investments worth at least $900 billion for American factories and projects in exchange for reduced trade tariffs.
In Tokyo, Trump will meet the country’s first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. According to American officials, he is also going to meet American soldiers stationed in Japan.
Trump in South Korea: Meeting with Xi scheduled for October 30
In South Korea, Trump is set for a highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
Although China has not yet confirmed the meeting, the White House’s confirmation of the meeting yesterday signaled its intention to ease tensions and get talks back on track, analysts said.
The potential meeting comes after months of a volatile trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
Earlier this month, Beijing announced tighter export controls on rare earths and other critical minerals, with Beijing saying the move was in response to Washington expanding export restrictions on US technology.
Trump described the news as “shocking” and “unexpected” and threatened to impose additional 100% taxes on Chinese imports on or before November 1.
At one point, Trump even threatened to cancel his meeting with Xi and wrote on social media that he “sees no reason” to meet the Chinese leader.
Trump later told reporters that he had not canceled the meeting.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar