Trump arrives in Asia for week of key talks — including with China’s Xi

President Donald Trump arrived in Malaysia for a nearly weeklong tour of Asia that will include meetings with key leaders, with a main goal of securing a trade deal with China’s President Xi Jinping — in hopes of ending a monthslong trade war.

Trump arrived in Kuala Lumpur shortly after 10 a.m. local time on Sunday. While he was on his way, Trump posted on his social media platform that he would meet with the prime minister of Thailand upon arrival and sign a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, noting the recent death of Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit.

President Donald Trump walks with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as he arrives at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025.

Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Trump is expected to sit down with Asian leaders at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and has a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar bin Ibrahim while in Kuala Lumpur, during the initial stage of his trip. 

During his first event of his swing through Asia, Trump signed the “Kuala Lumpur Peace Treaty” alongside the prime ministers of Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia — an agreement related to the five-day summer border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand.

The deal will release 18 Cambodian prisoners of war and deploy observers from ASEAN countries to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, according to a joint declaration released by the signatory nations.

President Donald Trump is greeted by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as he arrives at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025.

Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Bangkok and Phnom Penh also committed to military de-escalation, refraining from spreading harmful rhetoric or promoting false information, implementing humanitarian de-mining in the border areas and settling border disputes through peaceful means and international law.

During the signing, Trump again took credit for the ceasefire. 

“I’m proud to help settle this conflict and and really develop good friendships, including people that work with each team,” Trump said.

U.S. President Donald Trump joins the performers in a dance during a welcoming ceremony after arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, to attend the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia October 26, 2025.

Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters

“We sat there all day long making phone calls. And it was amazing the way it came together very quickly. I mean, really very quickly, you caused me very good entertainment,” Trump said as he described the multiple calls he had with the leaders over the summer as fighting broke out.

“I could have had a lot of fun, but this is much more fun for me than anything having to do with almost anything, because you’re saving people and you’re saving countries, but asked them to choose the path of prosperity and peace over needless bloodshed and war,” Trump said.

Securing trade deal with China

Trump is expected to sit down with his Chinese counterpart in South Korea on Thursday, the final day of his overseas trip.

U.S.-China relations experienced some detente this summer as tariffs were lowered while trade talks continued, but tensions flared recently when China announced tightened export controls on rare earth minerals weeks before the leaders were set to meet.

President Donald Trump on September 18, 2025 and Chinese President Xi Jinping September 1, 2025.

AFP/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The Trump administration sees those expanded restrictions, which apply to countries around the world, as having a major impact on global manufacturing. Trump’s top economic advisers have called the export controls “economic coercion” and “extortion.” 

President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable on criminal cartels in the State Dining Room of the White House, Oct. 23, 2025, in Washington.

Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

He responded by threatening an additional 100% tariff on Chinese imports, set to take effect Nov. 1, if his talks with Xi fail. 

Even so, he has appeared optimistic, saying he expects “to be able to make it a good deal” with Xi when the two sit down together. He’s said they’re also expected to confer about China’s purchase of American soybeans and even nuclear matters. 

Other world leaders

Following his stop in Malaysia, Trump will then travel to Japan where he’s expected to sit down with Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi. A political conservative, Takaichi is the country’s first female leader. While the U.S. and Japan have already secured a trade deal, the two will highlight that aspect of the U.S.-Japan relationship. 

Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a press conference at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo, Oct. 21, 2025.

Eugene Hoshiko/AP, Pool

On Wednesday, Trump is also expected to visit South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. While there, Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with the president of the Republic of Korea, deliver keynote remarks at the APEC CEO luncheon and participate in APEC working dinner. 

The visit comes after major tensions between South Korea and the U.S. after more than 400 South Korean workers were arrested, detained and deported at a Hyundai plant in Georgia as part of Trump’s immigration crackdown.

It came after Hyundai poured billions into the factory to align with Trump’s vision of manufacturing in America in order to avoid the brunt of Trump’s tariff policies. 

The episode caused uncertainty about the ability of companies to get workers into the U.S. to build and operate manufacturing plants without similar incidents. Trump’s visit could be a chance to soothe unease among those companies as he continues to court investment in the U.S. 

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney also is expected to attend APEC and the other Asia meetings, and one of Trump’s top economic advisers said Friday Trump and Carney will speak while there about their latest tariff dispute.

Just before leaving for Asia, Trump abruptly ended trade talks with Canada, saying he was angry about a TV ad put out by the province of Ontario featuring Ronald Reagan in 1987 criticizing tariffs. Trump claimed it was an attempt to “illegally influence” the U.S. Supreme Court, which is set to hear arguments next month over whether he has the power to unilaterally impose tariffs.

His visit also comes just days after he slapped more sanctions on Russian oil companies and continues to call on allies to pull back on purchases of Russian crude.

On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said those sanctions are already having an impact on, with China and India “scaling back” their contracts.

Though Trump is no stranger to APEC and ASEAN summits, having attended many during his first term, this visit will be his first major with Asian leaders during his second stay in office — as they try to navigate his often unpredictable changes in trade and foreign policy.

ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa contributed to this report.