WASHINGTON, 24 October (H.S.): United States President Donald Trump is set to depart on Friday for a major diplomatic tour of Asia, with the global economy’s fate hanging on a crucial, high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for October 30 in South Korea.
The summit, confirmed by the White House on Thursday, will take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and marks the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders since Trump returned to office amid escalating trade tensions.
The trip, Trump’s first to the region in his new term, includes stops in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, where host nations are preparing to roll out the red carpet for the unpredictable American leader.
After previously threatening to cancel the sit-down with Xi amid a flare-up over tariffs and Beijing’s restrictions on rare earth minerals, Trump struck a more optimistic tone on Wednesday, saying he hoped for a deal on everything.
He also expressed hope that the Chinese leader could exert big influence on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, a meeting with whom Trump recently canceled.
The tour will begin on Sunday in Malaysia, where Trump will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. There, he is expected to oversee the signing of a peace accord between Thailand and Cambodia as he continues his public quest for a Nobel Peace Prize.
A potential meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is also on the cards to mend strained relations. From there, Trump will travel to Tokyo on Tuesday for talks with Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi.
The tour’s climax will be in South Korea. Beyond the pivotal meeting with Xi, Trump will meet with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and address business leaders.
The visit has also fueled speculation of a third potential summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, following a recent series of ballistic missile tests by Pyongyang and the halting of tours in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
