Anthony Kuhn

They're promoting regional integration and free trade, while the U.S.

seems to be focused on great power competition and trade protectionism.

President Trump wants to preside over a Thai-Cambodian ceasefire deal, apparently to burnish his peacemaker image, which has led to some criticism in the region that Trump is more focused on himself than Southeast Asia.

President Trump told reporters en route to his first stop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that he expects a good meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but that both sides may need to make concessions.

U.S.

and Chinese trade officials held talks in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday seeking to de-escalate the trade spat.

China has not yet confirmed that Xi Jinping will meet Trump on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in South Korea next week.

President Trump also said he's open to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while he's in South Korea.

Kim has made similar remarks, and the two met three times in 2018 and 2019, but there are currently no plans for the two to meet on this trip.

Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul.

South Korea's National Security Advisor Wee Sung-lak told reporters that President Lee Jae-myung will meet with President Trump on October 29th and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on November 1st.

The U.S.

and South Korean governments gave conflicting versions of where their leaders will meet.

Wee Sung-lak said they would meet in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, where the APEC summit is being held.

The White House said the two would meet further south in the port city of Busan.

Meanwhile, U.S.

and Chinese trade officials will meet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday to try to de-escalate U.S.-China trade frictions ahead of Trump's expected meeting with Xi Jinping.

Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul.

The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff says the North fired several short-range ballistic missiles from near the capital Pyongyang to the east.

It's not clear whether they landed on land or in the sea.