SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) -U.S. President Donald Trump will embark on a week-long Asian tour next week, making stops in Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and China for a series of summit talks with regional leaders coinciding with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, the White House confirmed Thursday.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s first stop will be Malaysia, where he will meet Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday and attend a working dinner of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders.
He will then travel to Japan on for his first meeting with new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Tuesday before heading to South Korea’s southern port city of Busan on Wednesday for a two-day stay as the host country prepares for the APEC forum.
Trump is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with President Lee Jae Myung Wednesday and Chinese President Xi Jinping before he departs for home on Thursday, Leavitt said.
In Gyeongju, the U.S. president is also expected to deliver a keynote address at the APEC CEO luncheon and attend the APEC leaders’ working dinner, although he will not be present for the official APEC summit sessions set for Oct. 31–Nov. 1.
Trump’s trip comes as Washington and its Asian counterparts grapple with trade frictions — including negotiations to finalize South Korea’s $350 billion investment package in exchange for U.S. tariff relief, and ongoing tit-for-tat measures between the United States and China.
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