Sui-Lee WeeChoe Sang-HunJavier C. Hernández and David Pierson
From Kuala Lumpur to Gyeongju, President Trump is casting himself as a deal-maker and peace negotiator, while a wary region looks for tariff relief and steadier ties.
A five-day tour of Asia, starting this weekend, is President Trump’s first trip to the region during his second term.Credit...Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times
From Kuala Lumpur to Gyeongju, President Trump is casting himself as a deal-maker and peace negotiator, while a wary region looks for tariff relief and steadier ties.
A five-day tour of Asia, starting this weekend, is President Trump’s first trip to the region during his second term.Credit...Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times
Listen to this article · 7:14 min Learn moreOct. 25, 2025
President Trump is embarking on a nearly weeklong tour of Asia, his first trip to the region during his second term, with stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, capped by a meeting with Xi Jinping, China’s top leader.
He may tout a new trade deal, push for credit for negotiating peace between Thailand and Cambodia, and show that Washington still has sway in Southeast Asia, a region where Beijing has growing clout.
Across Asia, governments are looking to stabilize ties with the United States after months of tariff disputes, yet mindful of how Mr. Trump’s diplomacy can shift overnight. Many nations will be trying to find a way to balance their relationship with Washington against an increasingly assertive China.
“I hear real expressions of concern and unease about what the U.S. approach to the region will be over the long run, and concerns primarily for how China will respond,” said Daniel Kritenbrink, a partner at the Asia Group and a former U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs.
“They will start calculating their national interest and start balancing against China in ways that don’t involve the United States,” Mr. Kritenbrink said.
Here’s what the region expects from the visit:
Southeast Asia: A Wary Audience
Mr. Trump’s first official trip to Southeast Asia since 2019 will take him to the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Sunday. He hopes to sign a trade agreement with Malaysia and witness a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia that he has personally taken credit for brokering.
He will also meet with at least 10 of the leaders of regional nations who are gathered for a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
For the United States, Southeast Asia is valuable not only for the size of its market, but also for its strategic importance as a bulwark against China. The region is also an important supply chain hub for many American companies that have moved out of China.
A denim factory in Dong Nai Province, Vietnam, this year.Credit...Linh Pham for The New York Times
For Southeast Asia, the United States represents an important market. The United States is the top export destination for Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia. Many are looking to the possible Malaysia trade deal for clues on what their agreements will look like.
But Mr. Trump will find a region that is now increasingly skeptical of the United States. Countries are still reeling from his policy on tariffs, which many governments feel were indiscriminate. Most countries in Southeast Asia were hit with tariffs of about 19 to 20 percent, a blow to many of their economies.
Under Trump’s Aegis, Cambodia and Thailand Agree to Resolve Border Dispute
It remains unclear whether the two nations can achieve lasting peace, but that did not deter President Trump from brandishing himself as a peacemaker.
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