MANILA — Malacañang has officially verified that United States President Donald Trump will travel to the Philippines next month to participate in the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro announced the upcoming visit during a media briefing on Wednesday, October 14. However, she withheld specific details regarding the American leader’s itinerary or potential bilateral agreements that might be finalized during the trip.
When pressed on whether the visit would feature the signing of an accord for the Pax Silica initiative, Castro declined to give further comments.
The confirmation follows an official announcement from the White House indicating that Trump will join the Manila summit on November 16 before heading to Shenzhen, China, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering from November 17 to 19.
According to U.S. officials, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had extended invitations to Trump over multiple occasions.
The White House noted that the trip underscores Washington’s dedication to its Southeast Asian partners while driving its economic and security goals across the region.
Trump’s last visit to the Philippines took place in 2017 for the ASEAN Summit held during his initial presidential term. More recently, he participated in regional summits in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Gyeongju, South Korea, as part of ongoing diplomatic outreach in Asia.
The upcoming Manila meetings will convene regional heads of state and dialogue partners to tackle collaborative concerns.
Following his engagements in the Philippines, Trump’s itinerary includes traveling to China for APEC, where a prospective bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping is anticipated—marking their third face-to-face discussion of the year following prior meetings in Washington and Beijing, with another expected at the Group of 20 summit in Miami in December.