Trump Heads to Asia for Xi Talks, Open to Meeting Kim Jong Un

U.S. President Donald Trump departed for Asia on Saturday for a series of high-stakes meetings, including trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and hinted at a possible meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the trip.

Trump is expected to meet Xi in South Korea at the end of his regional tour in an effort to end the prolonged trade war between the world’s two largest economies. He told reporters aboard Air Force One that he anticipated a “very good meeting” with Xi and expected China to strike a deal to avoid the new 100% tariffs set to take effect on November 1.

As he left Washington, Trump also fueled speculation about a potential meeting with Kim their first since 2019 saying, “I’m open to it. I had a great relationship with him.”

When asked if he recognized North Korea as a nuclear state, Trump said, “They are sort of a nuclear power… They’ve got a lot of nuclear weapons, I’ll say that.” Kim has indicated willingness to meet Trump again if the U.S. drops its demand for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear arsenal.

According to Seoul’s reunification minister, there is a “considerable chance” the two leaders could meet while Trump is in South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Trump’s tour begins in Malaysia on Sunday for the ASEAN summit, where he will sign a bilateral trade deal and witness a peace accord between Thailand and Cambodia. He is also expected to meet Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the sidelines.

In Tokyo, Trump will meet Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the country’s first woman leader, whom he praised as a protégé of late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The trip’s key focus, however, will be in South Korea, where Trump will meet President Lee Jae Myung, attend the APEC business luncheon, and host a dinner with U.S. tech executives in Gyeongju before his long-awaited meeting with Xi.

Markets are closely watching the outcome, as both leaders face pressure to de-escalate trade tensions amid disputes over tariffs and Beijing’s rare-earth export restrictions. Trump said he also plans to discuss China’s role in curbing fentanyl trafficking and its links to Latin American drug networks.

 AFP