Trump’s Asia tour: What South Korea, Japan and Malaysia expect amid China's ‘growing clout in Southeast Asia’

US President Trump is all set to embark on a tour of Asia this week. His stops would include Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. It will be his first trip to the region during his second term.

Here's what the three countries expect from Trump:

According to the New York Times, governments across Asia are looking to stabilise ties with the US amid trade war and tariff disputes. Many nations will be trying to find a way to balance their relationship with Washington against an increasingly assertive China — keeping in view that Beijing has a growing clout over the Southeast Asia region.

Malaysia

Trump’s first trip to Southeast Asia since 2017 will take him to the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Sunday. There, he hopes to sign a trade agreement with Malaysia and witness a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, the New York Times reported.

Most countries in Southeast Asia were hit with tariffs of about 19 to 20 percent.

Trump is also expected to meet with at least 10 of the leaders of regional nations who are gathered for a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Southeast Asia is valuable for the US 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.

Many are looking to the possible Malaysia trade deal for clues on what their agreements will look like. Notable, the US is the top export destination for Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia.

Japan

Trump will fly to Japan from Malaysia. In Japan, Trump will meet with the country’s new leader, Sanae Takaichi, the first woman to serve as prime minister.

Japan currently focuses on finalising the details of a trade agreement with the US. In July, Japan received a lower-than-threatened 15 percent across-the-board tariff on its exports in exchange for a commitment to inject $550 billion into the US economy.

According to the New York Times, while the US and Japan have recently resolved several ambiguities in the trade agreement, a significant point of contention remains: the details of how Japan will deploy that $550 billion in investment, loans and loan guarantees.

Japan is reportedly anticipating demands from the Trump administration that it vastly increase military spending.

Japan's new leader Takaichi is also likely to raise concerns about China’s growing military and economic power in Asia. She is expected to seek a renewed pledge from Trump that the US will continue to uphold the military and economic alliance with Japan that has historically served as a check to China’s clout in the region.

South Korea

Trump is all set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit (APEC).

Much of the attention in South Korea is focused on whether President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea can settle a tariff dispute with Trump during the visit.

Notably, South Korea is home to the largest US military base overseas, an asset the Pentagon wanted to use to deter not only North Korea but also China.

However, South Korea’s export-driven economy relies heavily on trade with China. According to NYT, Lee does not want to antagonise China. The meeting in Gyeongju will be a test of Lee’s diplomatic juggling.

China

Trump will hold his first face-to-face meeting with Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Chinese and American trade negotiators are meeting this weekend to try to hash out details of what the leaders can agree on when they meet in Gyeongju before Trump returns to the US.

Beijing is pressing Washington to reduce its tariffs on Chinese products and drop its restrictions. He has also threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs and restrictions on exports of US software.

The Chinese leader will enter the talks with significant leverage, being able to point to China’s near-monopoly over rare earth minerals that are essential for global manufacturing.