Trump to make 12-day Asia trip

by Jordan Fabian - 09/29/17 9:07 AM ET

President Trump will embark on a five-nation trip to Asia in November as his administration struggles to tamp down North Korea’s growing nuclear ambitions.

The White House announced Friday Trump will travel to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines from Nov. 3 to 14. Trump also plans to stop in Hawaii for the first time as president.

“The president’s engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” the White House said in a statement.

{mosads}Trump will also push his trade agenda at two major economic gatherings: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.

Some believed that the president would skip the ASEAN summit in Manila.

Asked last month about the invitation from Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, Trump responded, “he invited us, so we’re going to see.”

Trump has taken a more protectionist stance on trade than his predecessor, Barack Obama. He has threatened to impose major tariffs against China and pulled the U.S. out of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.