The Chinese leader will arrive in Vietnam on Monday amidst tensions in US-China trade.
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that the trade war “will not win” as he prepares to launch a tour of Southeast Asia, backed by rising trade tensions between China and the US.
Prior to Monday’s visit to the country, XI, who wrote for Vietnam’s Nhan Dan newspaper, said the country should work to advance “inclusive and inclusive global economic globalization.”
“Trade and tariff wars don’t bring winners. Protectionism doesn’t provide a solution,” Xi said.
“We need to firmly protect our multilateral trading systems, maintain stability in global production and supply chains, and maintain an open and cooperative international environment.”
In an era of unilateral unity and rising protectionism, China’s economy continues to be a “significant driving force of the world economy,” Xi said.
“China maintains a high level of openness, creates more opportunities for the world and contributes to the shared development of the country through its own high quality development,” the Chinese leader said.
XI will arrive in Vietnam on Monday as part of a five-day tour to visit Malaysia and Cambodia.
This trip comes as Beijing seeks to portray itself as a trusted trading partner in the region amidst the uncertainty sparked by President Donald Trump’s tariff impasse.
Trump slapped 10% baseline tariffs in dozens of Asian countries, in addition to 25% target tariffs on vehicles, steel and aluminum.
The US President said this week that it will introduce new tariffs on semiconductors, but after last week’s announcement of a 90-day grace period, the sudden “mutual” tariffs on many U.S. trading partners have been suspended until July.
Trump’s suspension did not include China, where exports were slapped at 145% tariffs.
China is the largest trading partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) and the top trading partner of Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia.
According to the Vietnam Bureau, Vietnam is the largest buyer of Chinese products in the region, with imports from China rising more than 30% in 2024 to $144 billion.
After Vietnam, XI will be visiting Malaysia from Tuesday to Thursday, then visit Cambodia.
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