President Trump told reporters as he flew into Japan that he expects to have a trade agreement with China finalized by the end of his tour of Asia.

US and Chinese officials have reached a framework agreement, averting a potentially ruinous 157% tariff on Chinese goods while paving the way for a potential trade deal to be discussed between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this week.

The original soft power couple from post-war China was a pair of giant pandas, Ping Ping and Qi Qi, sent to the Soviet Union in 1957 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution, which led to the establishment of the world’s first Communist state.

World leaders gathered in Malaysia on Monday will discuss ways to strengthen economic and trade ties in the shadow of looming U.S. tariffs after President Donald Trump left a summit of Southeast Asian nations to continue a tour of the region.

With China dominating the global shipbuilding industry, and amid a port-fee dispute with Washington, the US president sees new strategic partnerships as critical.

Mariko Oi will be joined by regular guests from across the region, including South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head and China correspondent Laura Bicker

China and Australia on Monday sought to keep ties on an even keel despite tensions over military encounters in the South China Sea and rivalry in the Asia-Pacific region, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing both sides as "friends".

The swing through Malaysia, Japan and South Korea is expected to test President Trump’s skills as a statesman and negotiator.