US President Donald Trump is arriving in Asia for a whirlwind week of diplomacy, which includes a much-anticipated meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
Top of the agenda between the two will be trade – an area where tensions between the world's two biggest economies have once again been ramping up.
Trump lands in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, as a summit for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, begins on Sunday. He will then visit Japan and finally South Korea, where the White House says he will meet Xi.
Inking new trade deals that provide opportunities to American businesses while keeping the tariff revenue flowing into the US Treasury is sure to be a central focus of Trump's Asia trip. And Trump's scheduled meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of Apec could set the course for US-China relations for the rest of Trump's second term in office.
While the meeting signifies a potential thaw in relations, it underscores a complex balancing act. Xi is likely to adopt a tougher negotiating stance, leveraging China's control over key materials while addressing domestic economic challenges.
Each leader’s priorities will be scrutinized: Trump seeks to revive agricultural exports to China, while Xi may require concessions on US military support in Asia. As Trump plays the role of peacemaker in the region, the reception from ally nations will prove critical as Trump navigates their expectations amidst his own trade agendas.
As respective economies depend significantly on each other, the ramifications of the decisions made this week could alter the Asian economic landscape for years to come.
