Chinese leader Xi Jinping has stated that protectionism “leads nowhere” and that a trade war would result in “no winners,” according to state media, as he arrived in Vietnam for the first stop of his Southeast Asia tour.
Mr. Xi will travel to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia on his initial overseas trip of the year as Beijing aims to strengthen regional trade connections and mitigate the effects of substantial tariffs imposed by his US counterpart, Donald Trump.
A crowd of supporters greeted Xi at the airport in the Vietnamese capital, waving Chinese flags as he landed in Hanoi to commence a tour that Beijing claims “bears major importance” for the wider region.
Shortly after his arrival, he expressed in a statement reported by China’s Xinhua news agency that he is eager for an “in-depth exchange of views with Vietnamese leaders on matters affecting the relationships between both parties and countries that have global significance.”
People wave Chinese and Vietnamese flags as the plane carrying Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives
He also reaffirmed Beijing’s position that a “trade war and tariff war will yield no winners, and protectionism will lead nowhere” in an article featured in Vietnam’s prominent state-run Nhan Dan newspaper.
Beijing is positioning itself as a stable alternative to the unpredictable Mr. Trump, who recently announced – and then largely retracted – extensive tariffs that caused global markets to fluctuate.
Mr. Trump, on board Air Force One yesterday, indicated that tariffs on semiconductors and chips would soon be implemented.
“The tariffs will be in place in the near future because, as you know, similar to what we did with steel, automobiles, and aluminum, we will also be applying this to semiconductors, chips, and various other products, which will take effect very soon,” Mr. Trump stated.
Vietnam’s top leader Tô Lâm declared in an article shared on the government’s news portal that his country “is always prepared to collaborate with China to make bilateral cooperation more substantial, profound, balanced, and sustainable.”
Approximately 40 cooperation agreements are anticipated to be signed by both nations, according to Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son, as reported by state media.
China and Vietnam maintain a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’
In 2024, Vietnam emerged as Southeast Asia’s largest importer of Chinese goods, amounting to $161.9 billion, followed by Malaysia with $101.5 billion in imports from China.
Strengthening relationships with neighboring Southeast Asian countries could help mitigate the impact of a more isolationist United States, which was the largest single destination for Chinese goods last year.
Mr. Xi will be visiting Vietnam on Monday and Tuesday, marking his first trip there since December 2023.
China and Vietnam, both governed by communist parties, already share a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” the highest level of diplomatic status in Hanoi.
Vietnam has long adopted a “bamboo diplomacy” strategy, aiming to maintain positive relations with both China and the United States.
Although the two countries have strong economic ties, Hanoi is aligned with U.S. concerns regarding Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for a two-day state visit to Vietnam
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea as its territory, although this claim is contested by the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Brunei.
The Chinese leader asserted in his article that Beijing and Hanoi can resolve these disputes through dialogue.
“We must effectively manage our differences and uphold peace and stability in our region,” Mr. Xi wrote.
“With foresight, we are entirely capable of resolving maritime issues through consultation and negotiation,” he added.
Mr. Lâm emphasized in his article on the government news portal that “joint efforts to control and satisfactorily resolve disagreements…is a crucial stabilizing factor in the current complex and unpredictable international and regional situation.”
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Following Vietnam, Mr. Xi will visit Malaysia from Tuesday to Thursday.
Malaysian Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil noted that Mr. Xi’s visit is “part of the government’s efforts… to foster better trade relations with various countries, including China.”
On Thursday, Mr. Xi will proceed to Cambodia, one of China’s most steadfast allies in Southeast Asia, where Beijing has been expanding its influence in recent years.
