**President Donald Trump Departs U.S. for Asia Tour, Including Meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping**
*By Katherine Mosack | OAN Staff*
*10:47 AM, Saturday, October 25, 2025*
President Donald Trump has departed the United States to tour three Asian nations and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The president boarded Air Force One on Friday night and is expected to arrive in Malaysia on Sunday morning.
His first stop will be the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur. Trump attended the summit once during his first term, and this year’s event comes at a critical time as Malaysia and the U.S. work to address a conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.
Following the summit, Trump is scheduled to meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and participate in a joint signing ceremony alongside Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. Earlier this year, Trump threatened to withhold trade deals from Thailand and Cambodia until they resolved their skirmish.
“I told the leader of Malaysia, who is a very good man, I think I owe you a trip,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, giving credit to Ibrahim for his collaborative efforts with the U.S. to halt the fighting.
In addition, a meeting with President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil may also take place on Sunday. The Brazilian leader reportedly wishes to discuss the U.S. cutting a 40% tariff on Brazilian imports and may address Trump about recent U.S. military strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats off the South American coast. While Lula has mentioned plans for a meeting, the White House has not publicly confirmed it.
After Malaysia, Trump will visit Japan and South Korea to discuss at least $900 billion in investments for U.S. factories and projects. These investments are part of an agreement to reduce Trump’s tariffs from 25% down to 15%.
In Japan, Trump will meet with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the country’s first female prime minister and a protégé of the late Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated after leaving office. “I look forward to meeting her,” Trump said, highlighting her connection to Abe as “a good sign.”
Trump will also be hosted by Japanese Emperor Naruhito and will meet with U.S. troops stationed in Japan, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
One of the most highly anticipated stops is a meeting with President Xi Jinping, expected around the time of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit while Trump is in South Korea.
“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 departed the White House. “I think we’ll have a good meeting.”
The meeting is aimed at de-escalating the ongoing trade war. Recently, Beijing imposed new export restrictions on rare earth minerals vital for military applications and threatened to impose retaliatory tariffs. Earlier this week, Trump expressed optimism about reaching a “fantastic deal” with Xi.
Trump may also raise the issue of Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy newspaper founder held in solitary confinement in China since last month, although no such discussion is officially planned.
Speculation has also emerged about a possible reunion with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Gong-young indicated this month that a meeting in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) could be arranged. “They have a lot of nuclear weapons, but not a lot of telephone service,” Trump quipped, suggesting that setting up a visit might be difficult.
The president is expected back in Washington by October 30th. His signature will be required to sign any legislation aimed at reopening the government, which has now been shut down for 25 days.
When asked about the shutdown, Trump said he was unsure if the government funding lapse would be resolved by his return. “America is shut down and the President is skipping town,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated on Friday night. “While Americans are struggling to make ends meet, federal workers are going without pay, and millions of families are bracing for soaring health care costs, the president is leaving the country. Instead of doing his job, President Trump is abandoning it.”
Onboard his flight to Malaysia, Trump told reporters he would be “willing to” meet with Democrats leading the shutdown once he returns, noting that he would have done so earlier if arrangements had been made. “I said come on over, just put the government back. All they have to do is say yes, then it’s over. And then we go into negotiations,” he said.
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https://www.oann.com/newsroom/trump-begins-week-long-asia-tour-to-meet-xi-jinping-amid-government-shutdown/