Trump arrives in Malaysia as Asia tour kicks off

US President Donald Trump appeared to enjoy the welcome ceremony, with dancers and drummers, as he walked down the tarmac.

Trump was greeted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim upon arrival, with the occasion marked by fanfare.

US President Donald Trump has just arrived in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. Trump is expected to join a signing ceremony for the peace pact between Thailand and Cambodia.

The US president is scheduled to meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim before attending a working dinner of ASEAN leaders.

East Timor officially joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, on Sunday, becoming the regional bloc’s 11th member.

The country will become the first new member to be inducted into ASEAN since the 1990s.

At a ceremony on Sunday, the flag of East Timor was added to the other 10 on stage at a formal ceremony in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao then told the other leaders that “today, history is made.” “For the people of Timor Leste this is not only a dream realized but a powerful affirmation,” he said.

The little known Southeast Asian state is the poorest and the youngest country in the region, with integration of the country being hailed as a symbolic historic step for the bloc.

What to know about East Timor

It is unusual for a US president to embark on an international trip during a government shutdown at home. But the talks with Asian allies build up to a meeting with China, the US’ biggest economic rival. Why that matters:

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is one of the leaders attending this year’s ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. 

DW takes a look at what Subianto has managed to do so far in his first year in office. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced earlier this week that he will be joining the ASEAN summit to deliver an address virtually.

The Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim first broke the news, writing on social media that the Indian leader said Diwali celebrations were to continue in the country and he was not going to be able to attend the summit in person.

The news raised eyebrows since Modi has nearly always attended the summit in person since becoming prime minister in 2014.

And it comes as US President Donald Trump, who is attending this year’s summit, escalates a trade war with India. Trump imposed additional tariffs in August on India, citing its continued purchases of cheap Russian oil.

India, China to reset ties, but grievances remain

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US President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social that he will be meeting with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul when he lands in Malaysia, writing: 

“I am on my way to Malaysia, where I will sign the great Peace Deal, which I proudly brokered between Cambodia and Thailand. Sadly, the Queen Mother of Thailand has just passed away. I send my condolences to the Great People of Thailand. I will be seeing their wonderful Prime Minister when we land. In order to accommodate everyone for this major event, we will be signing the Peace Deal immediately upon arrival. See you soon! President DJT”

Thailand was mourning thedeath of Queen Sirikit, who died late Friday, casting doubt over whether the Thai leader could go on to attend the regional summit.

Trump has pushed for Cambodia and Thailand to sign a peace agreement after having personally taken credit for resolving a deadly border conflict between the neighbors.

The White House earlier said that Trump would join a signing ceremony for a peace agreement between the countries, with Trump having clarified that he was keen to do so “immediately upon arrival.” 

ASEAN foreign and economic ministers came together Saturday to lay the groundwork for the 47th summit that opens Sunday.

“As the international landscape becomes increasingly dominated by contestation rather than consensus, division rather than dialogue, ASEAN finds itself at a crossroads,” Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan told his counterparts.

“Our space for neutrality and centrality is narrowing, particularly in areas such as trade, technology and regional security arrangement,” he said. “We must continue to act as the speakers and not the spoken for.”

ASEAN heads of state and government are set to gather to focus on regional security, economic resilience and maritime disputes.

The discussions take place as US tariffs and shifting global trade patterns loom large over discussions.

The meeting will then be followed by two days of high-level engagements with key partners, including China, Japan, India, Australia, Russia and South Korea. 

During his first term, Trump attended the annual  ASEAN summit just oncein 2017, in the Philippines.

US President Donald Trump is going to soon arrive in Malaysia for the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN.

The body is a regional group that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its members.

The grouping that has had 10 members so far is set to welcome its 11th member, Timor-Leste, tomorrow.

The expansion is a big deal since some ASEAN members had their reservations when it came to accepting the small nation into the bloc.

ASEAN has played a central role in Asian economic integration, joining negotiations to form the world’s largest free trade agreement and signing six free trade deals with other governments in the region.  

But even though the group plays an important role in bringing together disparate neighbors to address regional and economic security, the group’s political impact has been limited.

Malaysia is this year’s ASEAN chair and has set “inclusivity and sustainability” as the theme of the summit.

Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said Saturday that she had spoken to US President Donald Trump on the phone.

The call was the first time the two leaders have spoken since Takaichi took office this week.

During the call, which she described as “good and candid,” Takaichi said she had told Trump that strengthening the alliance between Japan and the US was her “top priority.”

“We agreed that we will work toward elevating the Japan-US alliance to new heights,” she told a press conference.
 
“I told him that strengthening the Japan-US alliance is my administration’s top priority on the diplomatic and security front.”

In her first policy speech on Friday, Takaichi had said that she would bolster Japan’s military spending amid rising tensions with China, North Korea and Russia.

Trump, who has embarked on a five-day tour of Asia and is due to visit Japan on Monday, has repeatedly called on the US’ allies to increase their defense spending.

Trump is expected to arrive in Malaysia on Sunday morning for the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. On his first day, he is scheduled for a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Following that, he could oversee the signing of a peace treaty between Thailand and Cambodia, neighbors who were involved in brief skirmishes in May. 

Trump may also meet with Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who said he was willing to discuss a wide range of topics, including tariffs on Brazilian goods and tensions with Venezuela, with the US president if they met.

Trump in Japan

After Malaysia, Trump travels to Japan and South Korea where he is likely to discuss investments worth at least $900 billion (€774 billion) for US factories and projects in return for lowering their trade tariffs.

In Tokyo, Trump will meet with the country’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi. He is also set to meet US troops stationed in Japan, according to US officials. 

Trump in South Korea

In South Korea, Trump is set for a highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit.

While China is yet to confirm the meeting, the confirmation of the meeting yesterday by the White House signaled an intent to de-escalate tensions and put negotiations back on track, analysts said.

The potential meeting is slated to take place after months of volatile trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

US President Donald Trump said he plans to increase tariffs on imports of Canadian goods by an extra 10% because of an anti-tariff television ad aired by the Ontario province.

The ad, which ran during Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, used the words of former President Ronald Reagan to criticize US tariffs. 

Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford said he would pull the ad after the weekend so that trade talks could resume. 

“Their Advertisement was to be taken down, IMMEDIATELY, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a FRAUD,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform en route to Malaysia.

“Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now,” he added.

Trump will likely run into Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has already landed in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, for the ASEAN summit. But Trump told reporters he’s not inclined to meet Carney there.

US President Donald Trump met with Qatar‘s leaders in Doha during a refuelling stopover en route to Malaysia for a regional summit.

Trump said he discussed the fragile truce in Gaza with the ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. 

Qatar plays a key mediating role in the Gaza negotiations.

 “What we’ve done is incredible peace to the Middle East, and they were a very big factor in it,” Trump said.

Thailand’s newly appointed Prime Miniser Anutin Charnvirakul said he will travel to Malaysia to sign a ceasefire deal with Cambodia which US President Doanld Trump is set to witness, but will not attend regional summits due to the death of the kingdom’s Queen Mother Sirikit.

Thailand and Cambodia’s armed forces clashed on the borders of the disputed Emerald Triangle in May. Dozens of people were killed and around 300,000 were temporarily displaced as a result of the most recent fighting in a decades-old border dispute.

Charnvirakul said he had asked for the ceasefire ceremony to be held on Sunday morning after which he would return to Thailand. He said he will also miss the APEC summit in South Korea next week.

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.