Trump Begins Asia Trip with Focus on Trade and Regional Diplomacy

President Donald Trump arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today, kicking off a three-country tour centered on trade negotiations and strategic meetings, including a highly anticipated discussion with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The visit, beginning October 26, 2025, will see Trump engage with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and also includes stops in Japan and South Korea. Trade is expected to be the dominant theme, with the President having previously indicated a willingness to subsidize U.S. farmers if a deal with China isn’t reached. “The first message is Trump the peacemaker. The second is Trump the moneymaker,” said Victor Cha of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The trip comes at a time of heightened economic tensions between the U.S. and China, impacting global markets.

In Kuala Lumpur, Trump is scheduled to meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and participate in a working dinner with ASEAN leaders. He will also join a signing ceremony for a peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, a resolution he has claimed to have assisted in achieving. The President also suggested he was open to a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, despite no such meeting being formally planned, stating, “You know, they don’t have a lot of telephone service,” and urging reporters to “put out the word.” For more on U.S. foreign policy in the region, see the Council on Foreign Relations’ Asia-Pacific page.

Following Malaysia, Trump will travel to Japan for talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and an audience with Emperor Naruhito, and will conclude the trip in South Korea with meetings with President Lee Jae Myung and, potentially, President Xi. During the meeting with Xi, Trump said he plans to raise the issue of fentanyl and China’s purchases of Russian oil. The White House stated that officials are hopeful for a productive dialogue, even as analysts caution against expecting major breakthroughs, noting that past high-level exchanges haven’t always prevented shifts in policy. The White House has yet to confirm details of the Xi meeting.

Officials indicated that the President expects “a good meeting” with Xi, despite ongoing trade frictions, and that both leaders are focused on presenting a positive image of the discussions.