Trump begins Asia tour with Japan
US President Donald Trump's arrival in Japan at the start of his marathon Asia tour was cheered on by US and Japanese troops at the Yokota air base near Tokyo. Trump said that no country should underestimate US "resolve", and pledged to ensure that the Japanese and US troops had enough resources to defend freedom amidst heightened tensions with North Korea.
Donald Trump's meeting with PM Shinzo Abe
Trump's tour of Asia will be the longest undertaken by a US president in 25 years. Following his speech at the Yokota air base, Trump met Japanese PM Shinzo Abe for lunch, before heading out to play golf. Japan apart, Trump has scheduled stops in South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, and said that he was expecting to meet Vladimir Putin.
Trump's planned South Korea visit
Although Trump had previously exchanged harsh words with North Korea over their missile tests but he has no plans to visit the heavily fortified demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. However, Trump has plans to visit Camp Humphrey, a US military base to the south of South Korean capital Seoul.
Trump to end tour with East Asian Summit
After South Korea, Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for a series of events. He will then head to Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. After Vietnam, Trump will attend the ASEAN Summit in the Philippine capital of Manila. He will end the tour with the East Asia Summit which will feature the likes of Russia and India.
