President Donald Trump is touting new deals with China’s neighbors ahead of the much-anticipated sit-down with the Chinese leader Thursday.

Donald Trump has begun a whistle-stop tour of Asia that will culminate in his first face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping for six years. It is “the most important week of diplomacy” for Trump “since he returned to office”, said The Economist.

President Trump’s visit shows how the United States and China are vying for influence in Asia over trade, technology and the fate of Taiwan.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says "walking away from Taiwan" is not on the agenda for this week's talks in South Korea between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Newsweek reached out to the White House and to the Chinese Foreign Ministry via email for comment outside of regular office hours.

As the U.S. government shutdown enters its 25th day, President Donald Trump is embarking on a trip to Asia, where he will meet Xi Jinping.

I T IS THE start of the most important week of diplomacy for Donald Trump since he returned to office. A meeting between the American president and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, is planned for October 30th and comes after Mr Trump’s whistlestop tour of many of his country’s most important Asian allies.