Where Trump is going, what he's doing and what you need to know

U.S. President Donald Trump has embarked on his first large-scale tour of Asia, accompanied by his top envoy for the region: himself.

At least that's the impression he left this past week when conservative commentator Laura Ingraham asked about the numerous vacancies at the U.S. State Department in a televised interview.

"The one that matters is me. I'm the only one that matters," he said. "Because when it comes to it, that's what the policy is going to be. You've seen that, you've seen it strongly."

Will he bungle titles, question the food or otherwise break diplomatic protocol? Might his propensity for tug-of-war handshakes put his interlocutors off? What bon mots will issue forth from the presidential Twitter account to antagonize North Korea?

Given Asia's historical, political and cultural sensitivities, Mr. Trump has his work cut out.

Here is a breakdown of what to expect at each of his five ports of call:

Japan

The first stop of Mr. Trump's 12-day tour – the longest for a sitting U.S. president since 1992, when George H.W. Bush memorably barfed in the lap of the then-prime minister at a state dinner – is Japan.

He arrives Nov. 5 and is slated to meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a staunch supporter of the hard line toward North Korea; like his visitor, Mr. Abe believes it is China's responsibility to defuse Asia's loudest-ticking geopolitical time bomb.

Japan is deeply nervous about North Korea's nuclear sabre-rattling and with good reason: every recent missile test by the neo-Stalinist hermit kingdom has passed over Japanese heads.

The two men will also play golf because, well, Mr. Trump spends a lot of time on golf courses (he also has face-time scheduled with touring golf pro Hideki Matsuyama and pop singer Piko Taro, he of the Pen Pineapple Apple Pen song).

Mr. Trump raised eyebrows this week by referring to Japan as a "warrior nation," hardly reassuring language for historically-conscious countries in the area who remember the country's imperialist past.

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South Korea

It was originally expected that Mr. Trump would tour the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, but that idea has been shelved – probably wisely.

Instead, Mr. Trump will address South Korea's parliament and meet with President Moon Jae-In at a U.S. military installation south of Seoul on Nov. 7.

Relations with South Korea appear to be at something of a low ebb given Mr. Trump's bellicose approach to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un – Mr. Trump's hosts do not agree with Mr. Abe – and his famous dislike of bilateral trade deficits.

White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said Thursday that "the President will use whatever language he wants to use. I don't think the President really modulates his language. Have you noticed?"

Everyone in Asia has noticed, yes.

And the South Koreans are clearly hoping he doesn't ratchet up tensions needlessly with North Korea or say anything too damaging about free trade – as with NAFTA, he wants to reopen the U.S.-South Korea trade pact.

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China

On Nov. 8, Mr. Trump arrives in Beijing for what is likely the most consequential leg of his trip.

The President really seems to hate trade deficits, which he routinely equates to "bad" deals. And the United States has a large one with China.

"I don't want to embarrass anybody four days before I land in China," Trump said in Washington last week. "But it's horrible."

The good news is that's probably as inflammatory as Mr. Trump is likely to get, given he wants something – actually several somethings – from China.

First, he'd like President Xi Jinping to shut off North Korea's oil and cash supply, send its migrant workers back and clamp down on the border between the countries.

The two will also talk trade and though it's expected several flashy deal announcements will take place, their agendas remain far apart: the United States wants expanded market access, China's not inclined to grant it.

Mr. Trump has decided to give the Great Wall a miss, perhaps to avoid having to discuss the one he has promised along the U.S. border with Mexico.

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Vietnam

Mr. Trump will arrive in Da Nang on Nov. 10 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum (or APEC) leaders' meeting, the first of two international summits he will attend on the voyage.

Given one of his first acts as President was to pull the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement – it involves 21 countries – it might not be an especially convivial discussion.

According to the White House, Mr. Trump will call for a "free Indo-Pacific" region – a curious framing given India is not a member nation of APEC.

No matter. Mr. Trump is expected to express support for freedom of movement – and navigation – and increased freedom of political speech.

"The message will be that perhaps America First doesn't run contrary to these principles – that they can co-exist," Elizabeth Economy, a China expert with the Council on Foreign Relations, told Time magazine.

The host nation will emphasize freer trade, and again it's hard to see how meaningful consensus can be reached; a symbolic one appears more likely.

Mr. Trump will also make a state visit to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and meet with President Tran Dai Quang.

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WATCH Trump's impulsive style to be tested in Asia

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Philippines

The final stop of Mr. Trump's tour is Manila, where he will pitch up on Nov. 12 to attend the 50th annual meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

This is also an occasion for the American leader to get together with the Asian Trump, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, a no-holds-barred populist whose bloody crackdown on drugs has resulted in an estimated 7,000 extrajudicial killings by government and state-aligned forces – and won the admiration of the actual Mr. Trump.

It seems unlikely their bilateral meeting will dwell on human rights questions; they could talk about China, to whom Mr. Duterte appears to be cozying up.

As far as the summit goes, China's designs on controlling the South China Sea will be a key topic; Mr. Trump is said to be pushing for a resolution on freedom of navigation in the strategically crucial shipping route.

Hopes of it happening are thin, according to experts.

Mr. Trump will then skip the East Asia Summit to return to Washington, which has earned criticism from several Western diplomatic experts who point out China's President Xi will be able to dominate discussions while America's seat sits vacant.

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