Amid slow progress in Russia peace talks, Donald Trump began his Asian tour. His first stop was Malaysia, where he was received in style, even dancing at the airport, a gesture characteristic of his persona.
During his stay, Trump stated that he enjoys ending wars, calling it his strength. This statement followed his brokering of a peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, ending several months of conflict in the region.
Trump's next stop is South Korea, where a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping is planned. The two sides are preparing a framework trade agreement, which the US hopes will encourage China to pressure Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Besent indicated the US might drop plans for a 100% tariff on Chinese goods in exchange for concessions from China. A key sticking point remains China's exports of rare earth metals, after it introduced new export controls.
Trump and Xi are expected to meet on October 31 in South Korea, with future meetings planned in Beijing and Washington. China has not commented publicly yet, but both countries are actively working to avoid trade escalation and reach agreements.
