Trump to skip summits in Singapore, Papua New Guinea

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Europe

US President Donald Trump will skip summits with Asian leaders in Singapore and Papua New Guinea in November, sending Vice President Mike Pence in his place, the White House said on Friday.

Trump was invited to attend the US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit and the East Asia summit in Singapore and also the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Papua New Guinea. He attended these events last November.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump asked Pence to represent him at the summits, where he will highlight the US regional vision, and meet with leaders of US regional allies and partners to advance security and prosperity.

Trump will travel to Paris to attend a Nov. 11 commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War One.

"While in Europe, the president also will visit Ireland to renew the deep and historic ties between our two nations," Sanders said.

Later in November, Trump will attend the Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires and will also travel to Colombia for talks about security, narcotics and regional affairs, Sanders said.

Asia experts were not surprised by Trump's decision.

"Trump hates traveling outside the US and dislikes multilateral meetings," said Bonnie Glaser of Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Nonetheless, Trump's decision to skip the Asian summits will likely raise questions about the extent of his commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, where issues like the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula still yearns for progress.

Source(s): Reuters ,Xinhua News Agency