U.S. President Donald Trump, who embarked on a 12-day trip to Asia Friday, said he would extend his visit in the Philippines by one day to attend the East Asia Summit.
"We're actually staying an extra day in the Philippines. We have a big conference, the second conference, and I think we'll be talking about trade. We'll be talking about, obviously, North Korea," he said.
Trump will also attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in the Philippine capital of Manila.
On a recent visit to Jakarta, Indonesia, Vice President Mike Pence said the U.S.-ASEAN relationship was a "strategic partnership" and that ASEAN had "promoted prosperity and security" not only among member nations but also throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
When it announced the trip in late September, the White House said one of the administration's primary goals was to garner global support against the North Korean threat while attending regional summits.
"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 statement said.
The trip will include the president's first visit to China, North Korea's closest ally and top trade partner. His travels also will take him to Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and to South Korea, Japan and Vietnam.
The exchange of goods and services between the countries also will be a priority for Trump. The White House said the president would stress "the importance of fair and reciprocal economic ties with America's trade partners."
