Trump sets off for first trip to Asia this term

By&nbspEuronews&nbspwith&nbspAP

Published on 25/10/2025 - 8:54 GMT+2

Donald Trump departed nan White House connected Friday nighttime arsenic he group disconnected for Asia, successful what will beryllium his first travel to nan continent this term. He will beryllium stopping successful Malaysia, Japan and South Korea.

The US president is expected to activity connected finance deals and bid efforts earlier gathering face-to-face pinch Chinese President Xi Jinping to effort to deescalate a waste and acquisition war.

“We person a batch to talk astir pinch President Xi, and he has a batch to talk astir pinch us," Trump told reporters arsenic he near nan White House. "I deliberation we’ll person a bully meeting.”

Trump’s first extremity is astatine a location acme successful Kuala Lumpur. He attended nan yearly Association of Southeast Asian Nations acme only erstwhile during his first term, but this twelvemonth it comes arsenic Malaysia and nan US person been moving to reside a skirmish betwixt Thailand and Cambodia.

On Sunday, he’s besides scheduled to person a gathering pinch Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, followed by a associated signing ceremonial pinch nan premier ministers of Thailand and Cambodia.

Trump threatened earlier this twelvemonth to withhold waste and acquisition deals pinch nan countries if they didn’t extremity fighting, and his management has since been moving pinch Malaysia to nail down an expanded ceasefire.

The president credited Ibrahim pinch moving to resoluteness nan conflict.

“I told nan leader of Malaysia, who is simply a very bully man, I deliberation I beryllium you a trip," he told reporters aboard Air Force One.

The US leader connected Sunday whitethorn besides person a important gathering pinch Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who wants to spot nan US trim a 40% tariff connected Brazilian imports. The US management has justified nan tariffs by citing Brazil’s criminal prosecution of erstwhile President Jair Bolsonaro — a Trump ally.

Beyond trade, Lula connected Friday besides criticized nan US run of subject strikes disconnected nan South American seashore successful nan sanction of fighting supplier trafficking. He said he planned to raise concerns pinch Trump astatine a gathering connected Sunday successful Malaysia. The White House has not yet publically confirmed nan gathering is group to return place.

After Malaysia, Trump has stops successful Japan and South Korea

From there, Trump heads to Japan and South Korea, wherever he’s expected to make advancement connected talks for astatine slightest $900 cardinal ( €776 billion) successful investments for US factories and different projects that those countries committed to successful return for easing Trump’s planned tariff rates down to 15% from 25%.

The travel to Tokyo comes a week aft Japan elected its first female premier minister, Sanae Takaichi. Trump is group to meet pinch Takaichi, who is simply a protégé of erstwhile Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Trump was adjacent to Abe, who was assassinated aft leaving office.

Trump said Takaichi's narration pinch Abe was “a bully sign” and “I look guardant to gathering her.”

While there, Trump is expected to beryllium hosted by Japanese Emperor Naruhito, and meet pinch US troops who are stationed successful Japan, according to a elder US charismatic who was not authorized to speak publically and said to reporters connected information of anonymity astir nan planned trip.

In South Korea, Trump is expected to clasp a highly anticipated gathering pinch China's Xi connected nan sidelines of nan Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

While nan APEC acme is group to beryllium held successful Gyeongju, nan Trump-Xi gathering is expected to return spot successful nan metropolis of Busan, according to nan U.S. official.

The gathering follows months of volatile moves successful a waste and acquisition warfare betwixt China and nan US that person rattled nan world economy.

Trump was infuriated earlier this period aft Beijing imposed caller export controls connected uncommon earths utilized successful exertion and threatened to hike retaliatory tariffs to sky-high levels. He has said he wants China to bargain US soybeans. However, earlier this week, Trump was optimistic, predicting he would scope a “fantastic deal” pinch Xi.

Trump besides said he mightiness inquire Xi astir freeing Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy newspaper founder, saying "it’ll beryllium connected my list."

The only gathering that could perchance eclipse nan Xi acme would beryllium an impromptu reunion pinch North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Speculation has been rife since South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told lawmakers this period it was imaginable that Trump could again meet pinch Kim successful nan Demilitarized Zone, arsenic he did successful 2019.

But specified a gathering is not connected nan president's schedule for this trip, according to nan US official.

Trump suggested it was difficult to scope nan North Korean leader.

“They person a batch of atomic weapons, but not a batch of telephone service," he said.