Trump Off to High-Stakes Asia Tour for Xi Talks, Hints at Possible Kim Jong Un Meeting

U.S. President, Donald Trump has departed Washington for a major tour of Asia, with high-stakes meetings expected with Chinese President Xi Jinping and possible renewed contact with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

According to multiple reports, Trump’s trip includes visits to Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, with the primary focus on a bilateral meeting with Xi during the APEC Summit in Seoul their first face-to-face engagement since Trump returned to office.

The trip comes amid escalating tensions over trade and technology. The United States recently launched an investigation into China’s compliance with the 2020 “Phase One” trade agreement, while Beijing has tightened restrictions on the export of rare earth materials critical to global tech manufacturing.

Speaking before his departure, Trump described the visit as “an important opportunity to restore fair trade and stability in the region,” warning that China could face tariffs as high as 100 percent on its exports to the United States if ongoing trade disputes remain unresolved.

In addition to his planned summit with Xi, Trump has signaled an openness to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rekindling diplomatic speculation about renewed talks over denuclearization. South Korea’s Unification Minister said there is “a considerable possibility” that a Trump-Kim encounter could take place during the visit, although Washington has not confirmed any formal plans.

Analysts note that while Trump’s Asia tour could produce symbolic diplomatic gestures, concrete breakthroughs remain uncertain.

The former president’s previous summits with Kim in 2018 and 2019 drew global attention but failed to achieve lasting progress on North Korea’s nuclear program.

Observers also see the Trump-Xi meeting as pivotal for the global economy. A renewed trade standoff between the world’s two largest economies could have ripple effects across international markets, impacting supply chains, technology access, and commodity prices.

For African economies, including Nigeria, experts suggest any shifts in U.S.-China trade policy could indirectly influence global demand for raw materials and affect investment flows into emerging markets.

Trump’s Asia tour, seen as one of the most closely watched diplomatic missions of his renewed presidency, is expected to conclude early next week.