US President Donald Trump departed for Asia on Saturday for a high-stakes diplomatic mission aimed at easing tensions with China and securing stronger trade agreements across the region. This marks his first Asia visit since returning to the White House in January, with stops planned in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he is hopeful of a "very good meeting" with Chinese President Xi Jinping and confident that Beijing will agree to a deal to avoid additional 100% tariffs set to begin from November 1.

According to a US Treasury official, trade officials from both nations concluded “constructive” preliminary talks in Malaysia, which are expected to continue Sunday. The president’s Asia swing also includes his participation in the ASEAN Summit, where he will sign a trade pact with Malaysia and witness a peace accord between Thailand and Cambodia. Trump described these developments as part of his broader goal to restore American trade fairness and global peace — efforts he often frames as achievements deserving of a “Nobel Peace Prize.”

Heightened anticipation surrounds the possibility of Trump meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his South Korea stopover later in the week — their first potential encounter since 2019. “I’m open to it. I had a great relationship with him,” Trump told reporters, acknowledging North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and suggesting diplomatic openness. South Korean authorities have hinted at a “considerable chance” of the two leaders meeting while Trump attends the APEC Summit in Busan.

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Trump’s itinerary also includes a key visit to Tokyo, where he will hold talks with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the nation’s first female leader and a protégé of the late Shinzo Abe. The highlight of the trip, however, remains his meeting with Xi Jinping in South Korea, where global markets will watch closely for signs of a breakthrough in the China–US trade war. Trump is also expected to press Xi on limiting the export of fentanyl, a powerful opioid, and discuss cooperation on drug cartel crackdowns as part of his broader foreign policy agenda.

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