Chinese President Xi Jinping began his first overseas trip of the year today, launching a five-day, three-nation tour of Southeast Asia. His visits to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia are part of Beijing’s broader push to strengthen strategic ties in the region, as China grapples with a deepening trade conflict with the United States.
Framed by Beijing as an initiative for “win-win cooperation,” the tour is widely seen as a calculated diplomatic effort to deepen regional alliances, secure trade routes, and counter Washington’s growing clout in the Indo-Pacific.
The timing is significant, with China positioning itself as a more predictable global partner in contrast to the erratic policy shifts of U.S. President Donald Trump, whose recent tariff announcements—many of which he later reversed—have rattled global markets.
Southeast Asia’s rising importance to China’s amidst its Tariff Troubles
The impact of U.S. tariffs—reaching up to 145%—is already evident. Chinese exporters in sectors such as electronics, electric vehicles, solar panels, and heavy machinery are reporting cancelled orders and stranded cargo. Freight operators say clients are increasingly seeking to reroute or abandon shipments mid-transit.
With its strategic geography, robust manufacturing capabilities, and growing consumer base, Southeast Asia plays a pivotal role in China’s offshore economic strategy. The region is crucial not only to the success of the Belt and Road Initiative but also to the resilience of local value chains serving Western economies.
Why Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia are important to Xi Jinping?
These three ASEAN nations are key trade partners for China. Last year, China’s trade with ASEAN reached a record USD 962.28 billion, with exports accounting for USD 575 billion. Vietnam alone imported USD 161.9 billion in Chinese goods, followed by Malaysia at USD 101.5 billion.
However, all three countries face their own challenges amid the US-China trade spat. Vietnam and Cambodia—both heavily reliant on exports—were hit hard by U.S. tariffs, with rates of 46% and 49% respectively. Malaysia, due to its strategic location along the Strait of Malacca and its balanced stance on the South China Sea, is viewed as a critical geopolitical player.
Despite the region’s economic interdependence with China, there are concerns about rallying support from export-driven ASEAN economies that also rely on U.S. markets. Territorial disputes further complicate the equation.
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Diplomatic Itinerary
Xi will visit Vietnam on Monday and Tuesday—his first trip there since December 2023. Vietnam has long pursued a “bamboo diplomacy” policy, aiming to maintain strong relations with both China and the United States. While it shares U.S. concerns over China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea, its economic ties with Beijing remain close.
The Chinese president will then travel to Malaysia from Tuesday to Thursday. Malaysian Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil described the visit as part of efforts to enhance bilateral trade.
On Thursday, Xi Jinping will head to Cambodia, one of China’s closest allies in the region. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, speaking at the inauguration of a Chinese-funded road, emphasized the enduring strength of Cambodian-Chinese relations, calling China a “key partner” in the country’s infrastructure development.
Countering U.S. Influence
By consolidating regional alliances, Beijing aims to mitigate the effects of an increasingly protectionist U.S., which remains China’s largest export destination.
“China wants to present itself as the antithesis of a coercive and self-serving United States,” said Le Thu from the International Crisis Group. “It’s already a dominant power in the region, and its influence is only expected to grow.”
