Trump to Reach Manila After ASEAN Summit Closes, Then Head to China for APEC
President Donald Trump is due to land in Manila at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 17 November — half an hour after the ASEAN summit formally closes — for a brief stop centred on talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., before flying on to Shenzhen for the APEC leaders’ meeting.
The timing makes Trump the last leader scheduled to reach Manila for the gathering, and means he is likely to miss the East Asia Summit, which begins at 2:30 p.m. the same day. The centrepiece of his stop will be the ASEAN-U.S. Special Summit, the closing diplomatic event of the main leaders’ programme, and a bilateral meeting with Marcos.
The trip, running from November 16-19, is Trump’s first to Asia since returning to the White House, and it pairs two very different set-pieces: a gathering of Southeast Asian leaders in Manila, and a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Shenzhen.
A late arrival in Manila
The latest schedule issued to the media by the ASEAN National Organizing Council sets the summit’s closing ceremony for 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 17 November, followed by a speech and press conference by Marcos as chair at 6:00 p.m. Trump’s scheduled airport arrival is 5:30 p.m., according to an organisers’ advisory to the media.
Dominic Xavier Imperial, spokesperson for the Philippines’ ASEAN chairship, confirmed that Trump will attend the ASEAN-U.S. Special Summit. Dominic Imperial, executive director of the Department of Foreign Affairs ASEAN Office, said Trump was expected to arrive that day and would hold talks with Marcos, though the department has not announced a bilateral agenda.
Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez has said the visit will be brief, because the president must also attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen later in the week. Trump last visited the Philippines in November 2017, for the ASEAN summit hosted by then-President Rodrigo Duterte during his first term.
What is on the agenda
The 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits is scheduled for 16 to 18 November at the Philippine International Convention Center in Metro Manila, with the Philippines holding the rotating chair for 2026. The hosts confirmed on 6 November that Trump, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will attend. Chinese Premier Li Qiang is expected; President Xi Jinping is not.
The headline deliverable is a South China Sea code of conduct, but Philippine reporting indicates it is not expected to be concluded at the Manila meeting. The leaders’ programme also covers Myanmar, maritime security and digital trade, and a Quad leaders’ meeting is planned on the sidelines in Manila, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on 31 October.
Then Shenzhen: APEC and Xi
Both Trump and Marcos are due in Shenzhen for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on 18 and 19 November, with the APEC CEO Summit running on 17 and 18 November. Trump is expected to meet Xi in person for the third time this year, after their meeting in Beijing in May, with tariffs, semiconductor restrictions, artificial intelligence, supply chains and strategic stability all under scrutiny.
The meeting comes with the U.S.-China trade truce due to run to 10 January 2027. China has also acknowledged discussions concerning a possible meeting involving Trump, Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Shenzhen summit, though no trilateral meeting has been finalised.
The White House has said the goal of the trip is to demonstrate America’s commitment to its allies in Southeast Asia and to advance U.S. economic and national security objectives. The trip follows U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, where Russia and Ukraine agreed their largest prisoner swap, and comes as the administration juggles wars, trade disputes and alliance management across three continents at once.
For Manila, the late arrival is a small logistical wrinkle in a summit the Philippines has spent a year preparing. For Washington, the four days will test whether a president who lands after the formal business ends can still shape what comes next — first in Southeast Asia, then with Xi in Shenzhen.
Frequently asked questions
When does Trump arrive in Manila?
Trump’s scheduled airport arrival is 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 17 November, half an hour after the ASEAN summit’s closing ceremony. He is the last leader scheduled to reach Manila for the gathering.
Will Trump meet Xi Jinping?
Trump is expected to meet Xi in Shenzhen during the APEC leaders’ meeting on 18 and 19 November. It would be their third in-person meeting this year. No formal schedule for the meeting has been published.
What is the ASEAN summit deciding on the South China Sea?
A code of conduct for the South China Sea is the headline deliverable, but Philippine reporting indicates it is not expected to be concluded at the Manila meeting.
