(AP) — President Donald Trump plans to burnish his reputation as an international dealmaker on Sunday by solidifying a trade agreement with Malaysia and overseeing the signing of an expanded ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, two nations that skirmished along their disputed border earlier this year.

The two accords could be finalized while Trump attends the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which is being hosted in Kuala Lumpur. U.S. presidents don’t always attend this summit, and Trump went only once during his first term. But he told reporters aboard Air Force One that he wanted to come because Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim helped resolve the fighting between Cambodia and Thailand.

“I told the leader of Malaysia, who is a very good man, ‘I think I owe you a trip,’” Trump said.

The Republican president is using the trip to try to advance his diplomatic bona fides after recently brokering a ceasefire and hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas. During a refueling stop in Qatar on his long-haul flight to Malaysia, Trump met briefly aboard his plane with the ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

President Trump broke out in signature dance while walking the red carpet

Trump threatened earlier this year to withhold trade deals with the countries if they didn’t stop fighting, and his administration has since been working with Malaysia to nail down an expanded ceasefire. The president credited Ibrahim with working to resolve the conflict.

Thailand and Cambodia skirmished along their disputed border over the summer, and Trump threatened to withhold trade deals with each country if they didn’t stop fighting. “They were willing to come together and talk to avoid more economic pain,” said Ja Ian Chong, a political science professor at the National University of Singapore.

President Trump’s motorcade drives through Malaysia en route to the ASEAN Summit

Trump expressed confidence about the prospect of finalizing trade agreements during his trip. Negotiations have been underway with Japan and South Korea, two longstanding allies and trading partners. In Southeast Asia, trade talks appear further along with Malaysia, and a deal is expected to be signed while Trump is in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia is hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, an annual summit that Trump attended only once during his first term, even skipping it when it was held virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The trip comes amid a government shutdown at home, as Republicans reject Democratic demands for health care funds. There’s no sign of a break in the impasse, but Trump seems to be continuing on with business as usual, including his foreign trip.

“America is shut down and the President is skipping town,” said U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

Trump’s first stop is at a regional summit in Kuala Lumpur. He is scheduled to meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim before attending a working dinner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders.

Although he was close with Trump during his first term, the relationship has been more tense lately. Trump caused irritation by boasting that he settled a recent conflict between India and Pakistan, and he has increased tariffs on India for its purchase of Russian oil.

The broader Asia tour includes stops in Japan and South Korea, where Trump aims to nail down foreign investment deals and participate in bilateral meetings. There’s been some mystery around Trump’s trip, with no official announcements from the White House about much of his itinerary. The president said Monday that he plans to go to Malaysia, then Japan.

Others say Trump’s approach is paying off. Anthony Kim, a research fellow in international economic affairs at the Heritage Foundation, said Japan and South Korea are eager to work with the administration to solidify partnerships. The message from them has been “let’s sit down, talk about relevant details to make a deal,” Kim said.

At stake is nothing less than the future of the global economy, which could hinge on whether he’s able to calm trade tensions during an expected meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. A misstep could send shock waves through American industries that have already been rattled by Trump’s aggressive tariffs, government layoffs and political brinkmanship.

Central to the trip is Trump’s anticipated meeting with Xi in South Korea on Thursday, though Beijing has not yet confirmed the session. Top officials from the U.S. and China are sitting down in Malaysia on Saturday to find a way forward after Trump threatened new tariffs of 100% on Chinese goods and other trade limits starting on Nov. 1.

But such a meeting is not on the president’s schedule for this trip, according to the U.S. official. Trump suggested on Friday that it was hard to reach the North Korean leader. “They have a lot of nuclear weapons, but not a lot of telephone service,” he said.