Trump visits Asia after a crushing defeat in the midterm elections... Attention to US-China-US-China-Russia talks

US President Donald Trump will visit Asia next week to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China.

This is a tour of Asia where he leaves with a huge loss of face two weeks after his crushing defeat in the midterm elections. President Trump is likely to seek an agreement that will be presented as an outcome at the US-China-Russia summit, but the outlook is unclear.

The ASEAN Summit will be held in Manila, Philippines from the 15th to the 17th. According to Philippine media, President Trump will arrive in Manila late in the afternoon on the 17th.

Following his meeting with the leaders of ASEAN, President Trump will attend the Quad summit, a cooperation group of four countries including the United States, Japan, India, and Australia.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that President Trump is expected to urge participation in Pax Silica, a U.S.-led artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor supply chain cooperation, during a meeting with ASEAN leaders.

It is expected that checks on China will also be discussed at the Quad summit, the first to be held since President Trump came back to power.

After confirming China's cooperation with the alliance, President Trump moves to Shenzhen, China, where the APEC summit is scheduled for the 18th and 19th.

The schedule receiving the most attention is the meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is the third meeting between the two leaders this year.

The main agenda is expected to be the extension of the US-China trade truce until January next year, US export controls to China, and China's supply of rare earth elements.

The affair between former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy is an issue that neither President Trump nor President Xi are reluctant to discuss, so it is unclear whether it will be put on the agenda. There is a possibility that President Xi will indirectly warn President Trump by urging him to manage relations stably, targeting the US Congress's move to strengthen export controls with China.

Mike Kuiken, vice chairman of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Committee, which provides advice to the U.S. Congress, pointed out to the U.S. diplomatic magazine Foreign Policy, "Neither Trump nor Xi Jinping will have anything to gain by raising this issue."

There is interest in whether the U.S.-China-Russia summit will take place following the APEC summit. Initially, Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned a tripartite meeting to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, and President Trump responded by saying they would discuss nuclear disarmament. However, China is not pleased with both issues, so it is unclear whether the meeting will produce substantive results even if it is concluded.

However, there is a possibility that President Trump's situation, which requires diplomatic results due to his weakened domestic position following his crushing defeat in the midterm elections, may lead to some results.

There is interest in whether President Trump may use his visit to Asia as an opportunity to push for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Since North Korea has not responded well and little preparation has been made in advance, the possibility of success is small, but if President Trump wants a face-to-face meeting to turn the situation around and Chairman Kim also judges that there is something to be gained, the possibility of a last-minute success is still open.