President Trump to Visit Japan Before APEC Summit Amid Rising Asia Trade Tensions

President Donald Trump will visit Japan later this month prior to his attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's Wednesday announcement.

Speaking at a CNBC-hosted event in Washington, Bessent confirmed, "We're going to do a visit, president's going to do a visit to Japan, and then move to Korea for the APEC conference, where the leaders as of right now will meet."

While specific dates for the Japan visit weren't provided, Bessent indicated it would occur before the APEC summit, which begins October 31.

The US president's itinerary also includes attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit scheduled for October 26-28 in Kuala Lumpur. During this visit, Trump will witness the ceremonial signing of a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia following recent deadly border confrontations.

Trump's Asia trip comes amid escalating trade tensions, particularly with China. The Washington-Beijing trade dispute has intensified this year, with tariffs reaching triple-digit levels at one point, disrupting global supply chains.

Despite recent de-escalation efforts, China announced restrictions on rare earth exports last week, prompting Trump to threaten an additional 100-percent tariff on Chinese imports starting November 1.

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet during the APEC gathering in South Korea. Although Trump threatened to cancel this meeting following China's rare earth export restrictions, Bessent indicated Wednesday that the two leaders are still expected to convene.

Meanwhile, Japan faces political uncertainty after its ruling coalition collapsed last week, jeopardizing Sanae Takaichi's historic bid to become the country's first female prime minister.