President Donald Trump, who is on a tour of Asia, will participate in the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, followed by stops in Japan and South Korea.
President Trump heads to Asia to seek trade deal with China
President Trump is scheduled to fly to Asia for six days and meet with China to negotiate a trade deal.
With the U.S. government shutdown now stretching into four weeks with no end in sight, President Donald Trump departed on Friday, October 24th, for his first trip to Asia in his second term.
President Trump is on a five-day trip from October 24th to October 24th. On the 30th, the group will participate in the 47th ASEAN Summit to be held in Malaysia, followed by stops in Japan and South Korea. During his visit, he is scheduled to meet with China’s Xi Jinping and Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, among others.
Several congressional Democrats said Trump should have canceled his planned trip and remained in Washington to negotiate an end to the government shutdown.
The trip comes as the second-term Republican president threatens to impose nearly triple tariffs on Chinese imports on Nov. 1 unless the country agrees to a new trade deal. China’s retaliatory taxes have halted major U.S. imports such as soybeans and restricted sales of rare earth minerals essential to electronic devices such as cell phones and computers.
President Trump hopes to reach an agreement with Kim Pyong, who will meet with the US president in South Korea on Monday.
Here’s what you need to know about ASEAN and its member states.
What is the ASEAN Summit?
Founded in Bangkok, Thailand in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional organization whose purpose, according to its charter, is to promote economic growth and cultural development and to enhance security cooperation among its member states.
The Summit, on the other hand, is “ASEAN’s highest policy-making body, consisting of the heads of state or government of ASEAN member states,” according to its website.
Which countries are members of ASEAN?
According to the association’s website, ASEAN member states include:
- brunei
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Laos
- myanmar
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Vietnam
Timor-Leste will be officially welcomed as the 11th member of the group on Sunday 25 October.
When is the 2025 ASEAN Summit?
The 47th ASEAN Summit will be held from October 26th to 28th in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The theme of this year’s summit is “Inclusion and Sustainability”, Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Who will attend the 2025 ASEAN Summit?
According to Reuters, the summit is expected to be attended by President Trump, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, and Japan’s Takaichi.
“This represents a new strategic direction for Malaysia and ASEAN to expand diplomatic and trade ties with other regions, including Africa and Latin America,” Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the summit host, said on Wednesday, October 22, Reuters reported.
Contributed by: Bert Hansen, Fernando Cervantes Jr. / USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
