Trump to Visit Malaysia for ASEAN Summit Amid Rising Trade Tensions

United States President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Malaysia on Sunday for the first leg of a five-day trip across Asia, marking his first visit to the region since returning to office.

The visit comes as senior US and Chinese officials meet in Kuala Lumpur to ease escalating trade frictions ahead of a high-stakes summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at next week’s APEC meeting in Busan, South Korea.

The talks aim to avert Trump’s threatened 100% tariffs on Chinese goods and China’s expanded export controls on rare earth materials. Trump has expressed optimism about his upcoming meeting with Xi, saying both leaders have “a lot to talk about.”

During his trip, Trump will also meet Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who has played a key role in mediating the Thailand–Cambodia border conflict. The two leaders may witness the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the neighboring countries.

Other leaders attending the ASEAN summit include Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Trump’s visit, his first to ASEAN since 2017, underscores renewed US engagement in Southeast Asia, even as his administration’s tariff policies continue to draw criticism across the region.