Chinese President Xi Jinping warned on Monday ( Apr 14 ) that a trade war would have” no winners” and that protectionism would lead nowhere, according to state media, as he was scheduled to begin a tour of Southeast Asia with a trip to Vietnam.
As Beijing seeks to strengthen local business relationships and offset the effects of the enormous taxes his US equivalent Donald Trump has imposed, Xi’s first international excursion of the year will see him attend Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia.
He will travel to Southeast Asia with his three counterparts, Beijing has said, on a tour that “bears big importance” for the region as a whole.
In an article published on Monday in Vietnam’s top Nhan Dan newspaper, Xi urged the two nations to “resolutely protect the multilateral trading system, robust global commercial and supply chains, and empty and joint international environment,” according to Beijing’s Xinhua News Agency.
He also reiterated Beijing’s claim that “protectionism will lead nowhere, and a trade war and tariff war will produce no winner,” the agency continued.
Beijing is attempting to present itself as a reliable alternative to a erratic Trump, who announced and largely reversed sweeping tariffs this month that stifled global markets.
“BAMBOO DIPLOMACY”
Vietnam imported US$ 161.9 billion worth of Chinese goods into Southeast Asia in 2024, followed by Malaysia, which imported US$ 101.5 billion worth in 2024.
Additionally, strengthening ties with Southeast Asian neighbors might help to lessen the effects of a closed United States, which was the largest single recipient of Chinese goods last year.
Xi will travel to Vietnam on Monday and Tuesday for the first time since December 2023.
Vietnam and China, both under the control of communist parties, have already established a” comprehensive strategic partnership,” which is Hanoi’s highest diplomatic position.
Vietnam has long tried to maintain good relations with both China and the US, using a “bamboo diplomacy” strategy.
Although the two nations have close economic ties, Hanoi shares US concerns about Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea.