Trump’s Asia tour includes key diplomatic meetings with Japan, South Korea

President Donald Trump is turning his attention to key allies Japan and South Korea as his Asia tour enters its next phase, with trade, regional security and military cooperation expected to top his agenda this week.

Trump’s five-day tour of Asia will include talks with newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo and a planned meeting with the Chinese president. Xi Jinping during the last stage in South Korea.

Trump dances with Malaysian artists as he kicks off his Asia tour in lively fashion

The trip comes at a time of renewed uncertainty in the region, as North Korea steps up its missile tests and China asserts greater control over the South China Sea.

U.S. President Donald Trump waves from his official vehicle known as “The Beast” as he leaves Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang to attend the ASEAN Summit on October 26, 2025. (Hasnoor Hussain/POOL/AFP/Getty Images)

Economic ties are expected to play a central role in Trump’s meetings, with trade imbalances, technological cooperation and energy security top of the agenda. The administration has expressed interest in expanding partnerships in semiconductors and critical minerals with Japan and South Korea to counter China’s dominance in global supply chains.

The Trump administration said Sunday that the world two largest economies are close to reaching an agreement to avoid a new 100% US tariff on Chinese goods, with the two sides expected to meet in person soon.

The Trump administration has already pointed to China’s dependence on Iranian and Russian oil as a sticking point in trade talks. (Ton Molina/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

“President Trump gave me a lot of negotiating leverage with the threat of 100% tariffs, and I believe we’ve reached a very substantial framework that will avoid that and allow us to discuss a lot of other things with the Chinese,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Before heading north, Trump began his trip in Malaysia, where he was greeted with traditional music and dancing, even joining artists to celebrate.

Thailand, Cambodia reach ceasefire deal to end conflict that has displaced 260,000 people, Trump says

The Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire agreement is the latest peace deal negotiated, in part, by the Trump administration. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

He also oversaw the signing of a peace deal between Cambodia and Thailand on Sunday, a move seen as a key step in reducing regional tensions and strengthening U.S. diplomatic influence in Southeast Asia.

As part of the deal, Thailand agreed to release 18 Cambodian soldiers held captive and the two countries to begin removing heavy artillery from their shared border. THE Prime Minister of Thailand called the signing of a ceasefire agreement “a cornerstone of lasting peace”, and the Cambodian Prime Minister called the events a “historic day”.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“We did something that a lot of people said was impossible,” Trump said.

The White House billed the trip as a showcase of Trump’s foreign policy approach: ending conflicts, making deals and reasserting American leadership abroad.