Trump travels to Asia as tense China talks approach: ‘We have a lot to talk about’

“We have a lot to talk about with President Xi, and he has a lot to talk about with us,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House. “I think we’ll have a good meeting.”

The president’s long trip arrived in Malaysia on Sunday morning, the first stop on a three-nation tour.

His journey comes to the United States The government shutdown continues. Many federal employees are set to lose their first full paycheck this week, there are flight disruptions as overworked air traffic controllers are already working without pay, and states face the prospect of running out of federal food aid. With Republicans rejecting Democrats’ demands for health care funding, there is no sign of the impasse breaking, but Trump appears to be continuing with business as usual, including his foreign trip.

“America is on lockdown and the president is leaving town,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Friday night.

Trump’s first stop will be at a regional summit in Kuala Lumpur. Trump attended the annual ASEAN summit just once during his first term, but this year comes as Malaysia and the United States work to address the issue of Skirmishes between Thailand and Cambodia.

He is scheduled to hold a meeting with him on Sunday Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar IbrahimThis was followed by a joint signing ceremony with the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia.

Trump threatened earlier this year to halt trade deals with countries if they did not stop fighting, and since then his administration has been working with Malaysia to reach an expanded ceasefire.

The US President on Sunday There may also be an important meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvawho wants to see the United States reduce a 40% tariff on Brazilian imports. The US administration justified the customs duties by referring to the criminal prosecution imposed by Brazil Former President Jair Bolsonaro – An ally of Trump.

behind Trade, Lula on Friday also criticized the United States Military strikes campaign Off the coast of South America in the name of combating drug trafficking. He said he planned to raise his concerns with Trump during a meeting on Sunday in Malaysia. The White House has not yet publicly confirmed the date of the meeting.

After Malaysia, Trump stopped in Japan and South Korea

From there, Trump heads to Japan and South Korea, where he is expected to make progress Talks for investments of no less than $900 billion For American factories and other projects that these countries committed to in exchange for reducing the tariff rates that Trump planned to 15% from 25%.

The trip to Tokyo comes a week after Japan elected its first female prime minister. Sanae Takaishi. Trump is scheduled to meet with Takaishi, a disciple of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Trump was close to Abe, who was assassinated after leaving office.

While there, Japanese Emperor Naruhito is expected to host Trump and meet with U.S. troops 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 an upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

While the APEC summit is scheduled to be held in Jeonju, the Trump-Xi meeting is expected to be held in Busan, according to the US official.

The meeting follows Months of volatile movements In the trade war between China and the United States that shook the global economy.

Trump was angered earlier this month after Beijing imposed new controls on exports of rare earth elements used in technology and threatened to raise retaliatory tariffs to high levels. He said he wants China to buy American soybeans. However, earlier this week, Trump was optimistic, predicting that he would reach a “great deal” with Xi.

The only meeting that could overshadow Xi’s summit is an impromptu meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Yo. Speculation has spread since South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-yong He told lawmakers this month that it’s possible That Trump could meet again with Kim in Demilitarized zoneAs he did in 2019.

But such a meeting is not on the president’s schedule for this trip, according to the US official.