President Donald Trump waves goodbye at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., Aug. 22, 2017. (Isaac Martinez/U.S. Marine Corps)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — President Donald Trump will meet U.S. servicemembers in Japan and South Korea during a tour of five Asian nations next month, the White House announced Monday.
Trump will travel to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, the Philippines and Hawaii, from Nov. 3 to 14, the White House said in a statement.
“The President’s travel will underscore his commitment to longstanding United States alliances and partnerships, and reaffirm United States leadership in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said.
Trump’s first trip to the Asia-Pacific as president starts in Hawaii where Pacific Command will brief the president on Nov. 3. He will also visit Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial.
The president travels to Japan on Nov. 5 to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, U.S. and Japanese servicemembers and the families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea.
During a stop in South Korea on Nov. 7, Trump will meet President Moon Jae-in and American and South Korean servicemembers. He will address the National Assembly there about the alliance and friendship between the U.S. and South Korea and call on the international community to put pressure on North Korea, according to the White House statement.
Trump arrives in Beijing Nov. 8 for a series of bilateral, commercial, and cultural events, including meetings with President Xi Jinping.
The president will travel to Danang, Vietnam, on Nov. 10 to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting and deliver a speech.
“In the speech, the President will present the United States’ vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region and underscore the important role the region plays in advancing America’s economic prosperity,” the White House statement said.
On Nov. 11, Trump travels to Hanoi for bilateral engagements with President Tran Dai Quang and other Vietnamese leaders.
Trump arrives in Manila on Nov. 12 for a dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. On Nov. 13, he will celebrate the 40th anniversary of U.S.-ASEAN relations at the U.S.-ASEAN summit and participate in bilateral meetings with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and other leaders.
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