Airforce One was refueling in Qatar en route to Malaysia for the ASEAN summit. In a little bit of a surprise, the Amir of Qatar came to the airport to pay a courtesy visit to President Trump. Smiles all around. WATCH:
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President Trump held a press gaggle with the traveling pool immediately after taking off from the refueling in Qatar. Below.
Here’s the audio of President Trump discussing his trip to Asia to attend the ASEAN and APEC summits in Malaysia and South Korea respectively.
President Trump is anticipated to meet with Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping in South Korea and there is a rumor that Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un might meet somewhere. President Trump even made mention that if media put out the word, he would be willing to meet with Chairman Kim at the DMZ while he is in South Korea. Audio Below:
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There has been a slight bit of ambiguity in President Trump’s schedule as he heads to Asia for the first time in his second term. The President will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Malaysia first. The focus of President Trump and the ASEAN nations will be economics and regional stability. Then President Trump will then head to Japan.
Washington and Tokyo reached a trade agreement earlier this year, which included the promise of $550 billion of investments in U.S. projects. Interestingly, Japan is in a moment of political transition, as Sanae Takaichi was elected to be the country’s first female prime minister. Takaichi is a protégé of Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister and dear friend of President Trump. The meeting between Takaichi and Trump will likely hold a lot of very positive energy for both leaders; there is great respect.
President Trump will then head to South Korea, which is hosting this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. President Trump has said he’ll sit down with Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping while he’s there for a much-anticipated meeting. Additionally, President Trump will be discussing tariffs on South Korean autos and directly addressing stalled trade negotiations. There is also a possibility for President Trump to visit North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and reconnect after several years of separation. There is a lot of potential for this overall visit to Asia.
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