Xi Jinping’s recent tour of South-east Asia is seen by President Donald Trump as an attempt to harm the United States. The Chinese leader embarked on a five-day tour of some of the hardest hit nations by Trump’s tariffs, including Vietnam, where he arrived on Monday. During this tour, Xi met with Vietnam’s top leader, To Lam, and signed agreements regarding trade ties and supply chains.
In response to the meeting, Trump said that discussions in Vietnam were focused on ways to harm the US, although he did not directly blame the countries involved. This tour comes as China faces tariffs of 145%, with other countries seeking to negotiate and lower reciprocal tariffs within a given time frame.
Xi’s trip to Vietnam, as well as Cambodia and Malaysia, occurs as Beijing faces increasing tariffs and brings an opportunity to strengthen relations with the region. The Chinese leader aims to present China as a stable and reliable trading partner as opposed to the chaotic policies coming out of Washington.
According to Nhandan, a Communist party newspaper, Xi stated that there are “no winners in trade wars and tariff wars” and that protectionism “leads nowhere.” During a meeting with Vietnam’s prime minister, Xi said that both countries should oppose unilateral bullying.
Chinese and Vietnamese state media reported 45 agreements between the two nations, including those related to rail links, although further details were not disclosed. Vietnam is tightening controls on some trade with China under pressure from Washington, and Xi agreed with Vietnam’s leader to “work to reduce reciprocal tariffs.”
Many South-east Asian countries are attempting to strike a balance between the US and China, amid concerns that the region may become a dumping ground for Chinese exports that are barred from the US. Increasing tensions between the US and China have raised fears regarding the potential “decoupling” of the world’s two largest economies.
However, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, there does not have to be a complete decoupling of the economies. The White House recently eased some of the pressure by listing tariff exemptions for various electronic products, but Trump and his aides have since stated that these exemptions would only be temporary.
Following his two-day visit to Hanoi, Xi will continue his South-east Asian tour with stops in Malaysia and Cambodia from Tuesday to Friday.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/15/china-xi-jinping-vietnam-screw-donald-trump
