Trump departs for ASEAN summit on high-stakes Asia tour – DW – 10/25/2025

Negotiators representing China and the US began the latest rounds of trade talks in Malaysia on Saturday morning, according to a US Treasury spokesperson and Chinese state media.

This comes days ahead of a highly anticipated meeting between their leaders on the sidelines of the APEC summit in South Korea. 

News agency AFP reported that Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and his entourage entered the Merdeka 118 skyscraper where the talks are being Held. 

Building staff confirmed that the talks were being held on he 92nd floor of the world’s second-tallest building.

Oboard the Air Force One, Trump told Reporters that he hopes for a “very good Meeting” with Xi in Busan on October 30. He said he expects China to make a deal to avoid further 100 percent tariffs that are due to come into effect on November 1.

Earlier this month, Beijing announced tighter export controls onrare earths and other critical minerals, a move Beijing said was in response to Washington’s expansion of export curbs on US technology.

Trump described the news as “shocking” and “out of the blue” and threatened to place an additional 100% tax on Chinese imports starting on November 1 or sooner. 

Once onboard the Air Force One, the US President told reporters that he would want to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong UN when in Asia. 

When questioned on speculation of a meeting, Trump said: “I would. If you want to put out the word, I’m open to it. I had a great relationship with him.” 

It would be their first meeting since 2019. Trump and Kim last met in Hanoi, Vietnam, during the first Trump Presidency. Relations between the two leaders have cooled since as Washington demanded North Korea give up its nuclear arsenal — one that Pyongyang said it needs because of the threat from the US and its allies. 

Kim too has said he would be open to meeting Trump, only if Washington recognizes the country as a nuclear state.

When asked he was open to North Korea’s demand Trump replied: “Well, I think they are sort of a nuclear power. When you say they have to be recognized as a nuclear power, well, they got a lot of nuclear weapons, I’ll say that.”

Meanwhile, Seoul’s reunification minister said there is a “considerable” chance that Trump and Kim meet. 

Welcome to our coverage of US President Donald Trump‘s three-country Asia tour. 

Trump left Washington late Friday and will arrive in Malaysia on Sunday morning. He will then travel to Japan and South Korea. The trip will include several high-stakes meetings on the sidelines of regional economic summits.

The President’s top priority for the trip seems to be trade negotiations with Asian leaders in a region which has been battered by Trump’s volatile trade war.