(Joint Base Andrews) Donald Trump left on Friday evening for a major tour of Asia, which will be marked by a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, with major issues for the world economy.
The American president also appeared open to a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during this tour, the first to the region since his return to power in January.
“I would love to, he knows we’re going,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if such an interview was possible. The last one dates back to 2019.
This Asia tour includes stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. All host countries should roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump to try to curry his favor and obtain the best possible agreements in terms of customs duties and security guarantees.
A senior US official said on Friday that Mr Trump would “keep his promises to the American people in one of the most economically dynamic regions of the world, by signing a series of economic agreements”, notably on rare earths.
In Kuala Lumpur, Donald Trump will participate on Sunday in the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), which he snubbed several times during his first term.
He is expected to conclude a trade deal with Malaysia and, most importantly, witness the signing of a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia.
After a conflict lasting several days, the two neighbors concluded a ceasefire on July 29, following an intervention by Donald Trump.
A meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is also planned during the ASEAN summit.
The two leaders began to iron out their differences after months of tensions linked primarily to the trial and conviction of former far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, an ally of the White House tenant.
“All topics”
Donald Trump will then travel to Japan on Monday where he will meet the next day the nationalist Sanae Takaichi, who this week became the first woman to take over as head of the Japanese government.
The latter said she wanted “frank discussions” with the American president.
Tokyo signed a trade agreement with Washington this summer, but certain details remain to be discussed.
But the high point of the tour will take place in South Korea, where Donald Trump is expected from next Wednesday for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, on the sidelines of which he will have a meeting with Xi Jinping in Gyeongju, scheduled for Thursday.
The Republican leader had for a moment left doubts about this interview, while the two largest economies on the planet are competing hard on the commercial level.
China and the United States began new trade talks in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, according to Chinese state media.
Donald Trump said he hoped to reach an agreement with the Chinese president on “all subjects”, even if he mainly intended to “discuss the economic and commercial relationship”, according to the senior American official cited previously.
This meeting is all the more crucial since China announced a reduction in its exports of rare earths, with Donald Trump in response threatening 100% additional customs duties for Chinese products.
It should nevertheless not constitute “an inflection point” in the relationship between the two leaders, predicted to AFP Ryan Hass, researcher at the American think tank Brookings.
The American president will also meet, during this summit, his South Korean counterpart Lee Jae Myung, will deliver a speech to businessmen and will participate in a dinner of Apec leaders, according to the White House.
