“I believe we have a strong opportunity to forge a comprehensive deal,” President Trump remarked to reporters aboard Air Force One. His confidence was palpable as he outlined his agenda for discussions with China’s President Xi Jinping.
Among the critical topics on Trump’s list is the issue of fentanyl trafficking, a concern that has strained the U.S.-China relationship. Additionally, Trump aims to address the lack of soybean purchases by China from the United States, a point of contention in the ongoing trade disputes.
After Malaysia, Trump has stops in Japan and South Korea
Following his visit to China, Trump will journey to Japan and South Korea. In these countries, he’s expected to advance discussions on securing at least $900 billion in investments aimed at bolstering U.S. factories and other initiatives. This comes as part of a broader agreement where these nations have committed to such investments in exchange for a reduction in Trump’s proposed tariffs, lowering them from 25 percent to 15 percent.
Tokyo marks the next stop on Trump’s itinerary, just a week after Japan’s historic election of Sanae Takaichi as its first female prime minister. In a significant diplomatic engagement, Trump is scheduled to meet with Takaichi, a known protégé of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with whom Trump shared a close relationship. Abe was tragically assassinated after his tenure.
During his flight, Trump took the opportunity to speak with Takaichi, setting the stage for their upcoming discussions in Japan.
Trump spoke to Takaichi during his flight.
While there, Trump is expected to be hosted by Japanese Emperor Naruhito, and meet with US troops who are stationed in Japan, according to a senior U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity about the planned trip.
In South Korea, Trump is expected to hold a highly anticipated meeting with China’s Xi on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
While the APEC summit is set to be held in Gyeongju, the Trump-Xi meeting is expected to take place in the city of Busan, according to the U.S. official.
The meeting follows months of volatile moves in a trade war between China and the U.S. that have rattled the global economy.
Trump was infuriated earlier this month after Beijing imposed new export controls on rare earths used in technology and threatened to hike retaliatory tariffs to sky-high levels.
Trump told reporters on Friday that he might ask Xi about freeing Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy newspaper founder, saying “it’ll be on my list.”
The only meeting that could possibly eclipse the Xi summit would be an impromptu reunion with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Speculation has been rife since South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told lawmakers this month it was possible that Trump could again meet with Kim in the Demilitarized Zone, as he did in 2019.
But such a meeting is not on the president’s schedule for this trip, according to the US official.
Trump suggested on Friday that it was hard to reach the North Korean leader.
“They have a lot of nuclear weapons, but not a lot of telephone service,” he said.
