Trump to skip two major Asia summits, fuels doubt about US commitment

The decision removes one potential avenue for Trump to meet Xi as a trade war between the US and China deepens

President Donald Trump will skip two major summits in Asia in November, a move that could stoke concerns in the region about the US’s reliability as a counterweight to China.

The White House said Friday that Vice President Mike Pence would travel to Singapore for an 18-nation summit hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, before heading to Papua New Guinea for an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering. The APEC summit is normally attended by 21 leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

The decision removes one potential avenue for Trump to meet with Xi as a trade