U. S. leader Donald Trump will travel to Asia in November for the first time since becoming president, stopping in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and th
WASHINGTON – U. S. leader Donald Trump will travel to Asia in November for the first time since becoming president, stopping in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines on a trip expected to be dominated by the North Korea nuclear threat.
Joined by his wife, Melania, Trump will travel Nov. 3-14. His visit will include attending two major summits, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations conclave in the Philippines.
An itinerary for the five-nation trip — which also includes a stop in Hawaii — has not been released. But Trump will start the tour with a visit to Japan around Nov. 5 and meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Nov. 6, according to diplomatic sources.
Making Japan the first destination in Asia shows that Trump attaches importance to Washington’s alliance with Tokyo, a U. S. official said. After Japan, the president will travel to South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines in that order.
Trump’s attendance at the Manila summit had been in doubt until recent days, with officials saying he was reluctant to show support for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been responsible for a number of anti-American outbursts.
A U. S. official said Asian leaders who met Trump at the United Nations General Assembly in New York late last month helped persuade him to attend in unity with key Asian allies.
An Asian diplomat welcomed Trump’s decision to visit Manila “because that reassures the region that Asia policy is not just about North Korea, it’s about Southeast Asia as well.”
The diplomat said Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal early this year had raised questions about the administration’s commitment to the region. But visits by senior officials, including the secretaries of state, defense and commerce, and Trump’s planned trip, showed Washington intended to remain engaged.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Duterte was looking forward to meeting Trump, adding that the relationship between the two countries was so resilient that ties would always recover, regardless of disagreements.
