**President Donald Trump Heads to Asia Amid Ongoing US Government Shutdown**
President Donald Trump departed for Asia Friday night, marking his first trip to the region during this term. The journey is expected to focus on advancing investment deals and peace efforts, culminating in a face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed at de-escalating the ongoing trade war.
“We have a lot to talk about with President Xi, and he has a lot to talk about with us,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House. “I think we’ll have a good meeting.”
### First Stop: Malaysia
Trump’s long-haul flight will have him arriving in Malaysia on Sunday morning, kicking off a three-country tour. His visit comes amid the continuing US government shutdown, which is impacting many federal workers who may miss their first full paycheck this week. Flight disruptions are also occurring as already strained air traffic controllers are working without pay, and states face the possibility of losing federal food aid.
Despite the shutdown, Trump appears to be maintaining business as usual, including proceeding with the foreign trip. “America is shut down and the President is skipping town,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Friday night.
Trump’s first engagement will be at the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur. During his first term, Trump only attended this summit once, but this year’s gathering is notable as Malaysia and the US have been collaborating to address a border skirmish between Thailand and Cambodia.
On Sunday, the president is scheduled to meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, followed by a joint signing ceremony with the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia. Earlier this year, Trump threatened to withhold trade deals if the countries didn’t cease hostilities. Since then, his administration has worked with Malaysia to broker an expanded ceasefire, which Trump credited to Ibrahim’s efforts.
“I told the leader of Malaysia, who is a very good man, I think I owe you a trip,” Trump remarked to reporters aboard Air Force One.
### Potential Meeting with Brazilian President Lula
Trump may also have a significant meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva while in Malaysia. Lula is seeking the US to reduce a 40% tariff on Brazilian imports. The US administration has justified these tariffs by pointing to Brazil’s criminal prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, a known ally of Trump.
In addition to trade issues, Lula criticized the US military campaign against drug trafficking off the South American coast and reportedly plans to raise these concerns with Trump. However, the White House has not yet confirmed that this meeting will take place.
### Stops in Japan and South Korea
After Malaysia, Trump will travel to Japan and South Korea. In these countries, he is expected to make progress on talks centered around at least $900 billion in investments for US factories and other projects. These investments come as Japan and South Korea agreed to ease planned US tariffs from 25% down to 15%.
Trump’s visit to Tokyo occurs a week after Japan elected its first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi. Trump is scheduled to meet with Takaichi, who is a protégé of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with whom Trump had a notably close relationship. Trump described Takaichi’s connection to Abe as “a good sign” and expressed his anticipation of the meeting.
While in Japan, Trump is expected to be hosted by Emperor Naruhito and meet with US troops stationed there, according to a senior US official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
### APEC Summit and Meeting with Xi Jinping in South Korea
In South Korea, Trump is slated to hold a highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. While the summit will take place in Gyeongju, the Trump-Xi meeting is expected to occur in the city of Busan.
This meeting comes after months of volatile trade tensions between China and the US, which have unsettled the global economy. Earlier this month, Trump expressed anger after Beijing imposed new export controls on rare earth minerals vital to technology and threatened to raise retaliatory tariffs further. Trump has also voiced a desire for China to purchase more US soybeans.
Despite these tensions, Trump was optimistic this week, predicting he would achieve a “fantastic deal” with Xi. He also indicated he might raise the issue of freeing Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy newspaper founder, saying, “It’ll be on my list.”
### North Korea and Other Possibilities
The only event that might overshadow the Xi summit would be an impromptu meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Speculation has been fueled by South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, who suggested that Trump could meet Kim again in the Demilitarized Zone, similar to their 2019 encounter.
However, according to the US official, no such meeting is scheduled for this trip. Trump himself hinted at the difficulty in arranging contact with the North Korean leader, saying, “They have a lot of nuclear weapons, but not a lot of telephone service.”
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As President Trump embarks on this significant trip, global watchers will be keenly observing the outcomes of his meetings and the potential for easing tensions in key geopolitical hotspots.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/25/world-news/trump-heads-to-3-country-sprint-in-asia-meeting-with-xi-as-government-shutdown-drags-on-at-home/
