US President Donald Trump met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Saturday during a refuelling stop at Al Udeid Air Base, a key US military hub, to discuss the fragile Gaza ceasefire. The meeting came as Israel conducted an air strike on an alleged Islamic Jihad militant in Gaza, testing the truce brokered by Washington.
“What we’ve done is incredible peace to the Middle East, and they were a very big factor in it,” Trump said, praising Qatar’s role in the ceasefire deal. The Qatari leaders boarded Air Force One for talks with Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who recently returned from Israel as part of Washington’s diplomatic efforts to keep the Gaza peace process on track.Qatar, along with Egypt, the United States and Turkey, is a guarantor of the Gaza truce and has been central to indirect talks between Israel and Hamas since the conflict erupted following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The Emir also hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier this week to discuss plans for a Gaza security force and the future of Hamas’s political structure.Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform after the talks: “Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.” The US president said Qatar’s prime minister had been his “friend to the world” and praised Doha’s “big factor” role in maintaining peace in the Middle East.
Focus shifts to Asia and China talks
Following his Qatar stop, Trump embarked on his first Asia tour since returning to office in January, a trip that includes visits to Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. He is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday in South Korea, in what could be a decisive moment for ending the prolonged trade war between Washington and Beijing.Aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “I think we have a really good chance of making a really comprehensive deal.” Such an agreement could prevent the imposition of 100 percent tariffs on Chinese goods set to take effect on November 1. He added that he would also raise the issue of fentanyl trafficking with Xi, pushing Beijing to act against the flow of the deadly synthetic opioid into the US.The highlight of the trip will be Trump’s participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan, South Korea. He will also meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and address a luncheon of business leaders, followed by dinner with American technology executives in Gyeongju.
Malaysia, Japan and North Korea on the agenda
Trump’s first stop on the trip will be Malaysia, where he is set to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit on Sunday. The visit marks his return to the summit after multiple absences during his first term. He is expected to sign a trade pact with Malaysia and witness the signing of a peace accord between Thailand and Cambodia, continuing his pursuit of what he has called “a new era of global peace.”On the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, Trump plans to meet Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to “reset ties” after months of strained relations.In Tokyo, Trump will meet Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, a conservative who said she had a “good and candid” initial conversation with the US president. Japan, unlike many other countries, has largely avoided Trump’s punitive tariffs on global trade.Ahead of his Asia tour, Trump also reignited speculation that he could meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the first time since 2019. “I’m open to it,” Trump said when asked about the possibility. When pressed on whether he would accept North Korea’s demand for recognition as a nuclear power, he replied: “Well, I think they are sort of a nuclear power… They got a lot of nuclear weapons, I’ll say that.”Kim has expressed willingness to meet again if Washington drops its demand that Pyongyang dismantle its nuclear arsenal. Trump’s aides, however, have downplayed the chances of a formal summit, saying it would depend on “constructive signals” from Pyongyang.
Trade, peace and the search for legacy
Trump’s multi-nation tour, his first major foreign engagement since retaking the White House, is viewed as an attempt to project renewed American leadership abroad while balancing his dual goals of achieving peace in the Middle East and securing an economic win against China.US officials said the president hopes the combination of a durable Gaza ceasefire, a new Malaysia trade agreement, and a potential breakthrough with Xi could define his second term’s foreign policy achievements.For Trump, who has repeatedly hinted at his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize, the trip represents a chance to showcase progress on two fronts he often links together: peace and prosperity. As he put it before boarding Air Force One, “We’re making deals that make sense — for peace, for trade, for the world.”
