Trump travels to Japan ahead of meeting with Chinese President in South Korea

(Patria) - US President Donald Trump is traveling to Japan today for the second leg of an Asian tour that is expected to culminate in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, AFP reported.

The trip, Trump's first visit to the region since returning to office, began on Sunday in Malaysia with a series of agreements. This included rewarding neighbors Cambodia and Thailand with trade deals after they jointly signed a ceasefire agreement on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur.

He also signed a trade and mineral agreement with Malaysia, and set about repairing relations with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after months of disagreements.

"I think we'll be able to strike some pretty good deals," Trump told the leftist leader.

Before arriving in Southeast Asia, Trump met with Qatari leaders during a refueling stop, where they discussed the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.

This was Trump's first visit to Kuala Lumpur as president, where his flight was escorted by two Malaysian F-18 aircraft in its final phase, before being welcomed with a red carpet and a sea of Malaysian and American flags.

Trump: It will be great for us and for China

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng had already held two days of trade talks, seeking an agreement to avoid additional 100% tariffs that were due to take effect on November 1.

China's Deputy Minister of Commerce, Li Chenggang, said they had reached a "preliminary consensus".

Bessent told ABC that additional tariffs had been avoided and signaled that an agreement had been reached on rare earth metals and the export of American soybeans.
"It will be great for China, great for us," Trump told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
Before that, Trump will travel to Tokyo this morning, landing in time for an evening meeting with the Japanese Emperor, before a meeting on Tuesday with the new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The US leader said he had heard "great things about her" and welcomed the fact that she was a follower of the assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with whom Trump had close ties.

Takaichi told Trump before the meeting that "strengthening the Japan-US alliance is the top priority of my administration on the diplomatic and security front".

Japan has avoided the worst tariffs that Trump imposed on countries around the world to end what he calls unfair trade balances that "rob the United States".

'Open' to meeting North Korean leader as well

The highlight of the trip is expected in South Korea, where Trump will meet Xi for the first time since returning to office.

Trump is scheduled to visit the southern port city of Busan on Wednesday ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and will meet with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

Global markets will closely monitor the situation to see if the meeting with Xi on Thursday can stop the trade war triggered by Trump's comprehensive tariffs, especially after the recent dispute over Beijing's restrictions on rare earth imports.

Trump also fueled speculation that he might meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un while in the Korean Peninsula, saying he was "open to it".

The two leaders last met in 2019 in the Demilitarized Zone, the border area separating the two Koreas.

The South Korean Unification Minister said there was a "significant" chance that Trump and Kim would meet.

Kim has said he would also be open to meeting the US president if Washington drops its demand that Pyongyang abandon its nuclear arsenal.