Trump extends trip, will stay for East Asia summit

Trump extends trip, will stay for East Asia summit

US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania toss flower petals while visiting the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii on Friday, prior to the start of his Asian tour. (AP Photo)
US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania toss flower petals while visiting the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii on Friday, prior to the start of his Asian tour. (AP Photo)

US President Donald Trump will add a day to the end of his five-country tour of Asia so that he can attend the East Asia summit on Nov 13 and 14 in the Philippines, the White House has confirmed.

Mr Trump had been scheduled to return to the United States on Nov 13 after attending the Asean Summit in Manila. Regional leaders were disappointed when it was announced earlier that he would not be staying for the East Asia summit the following day in Angeles, north of the Philippine capital.

The East Asia summit brings together leaders of Asean plus the region's biggest powers to discuss major regional policy issues. Observers expect North Korean aggression and China’s activities in the South China Sea to get an airing this year.

Shortly after Mr Trump’s departure from the White House on Friday, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that plans had changed and her boss would be extending his trip by one day to attend the summit.

Foreign policy experts had warned that Mr Trump’s decision to forgo the gathering -- which former president Barack Obama regularly attended -- could deepen anxieties among Asian partners over the US commitment to the region, especially in light of the escalating North Korean threat and Mr Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

“We’re staying the extra day because the following day is actually the most important day,” Mr Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Hawaii.

Mr Trump said that he had originally planned to spend a day in Hawaii at the end of the trip, but cancelled to stay longer in the Philippines.

“I’m going to spend the extra day at the second conference, which is a very important conference,” he said.

Mr Trump kicked off his trip with a stop in Hawaii to meet with leaders at the US Pacific Command, who briefed him on the security situation in the region.

After the briefing, the president took a boat tour of Pearl Harbor and visited the USS Arizona memorial, built on top of the battleship sunk in the Japanese attack in December 1941. Trump laid a wreath before the marble war memorial to the 1,177 officers and crewmen who died aboard the ship and stood for a moment of silence.

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