Xi Jinping provides reasons for free trade, using China as a source of “stability and certainty”
On Monday, Vietnamese President Luong Cuong welcomed him to Hanoi with the Grand and Ceremony.
He arrived in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur late Tuesday for a three-day visit and will stop in Cambodia to end his tour.
In Hanoi, Xi Jinping held a meeting with the Secretary-General of the Communist Party of Vietnam, saying that the two countries “brought precious stability and certainty in the world” in a “turbulent world.” He also paid tribute to the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, the founder of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
He added: “As beneficiaries of economic globalization, both China and Vietnam should strengthen their strategic determination to jointly oppose unilateral bullying, maintain the global free trade system, and maintain global industry and supply chain stability.”
China and Vietnam have signed a series of memorandums on supply chain cooperation and joint railway projects, and Xi Jinping also promised that Vietnam’s agricultural exports provide China with greater access, although there are few details on the agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump complained about the meeting, which comes days after his tariffs escalated global markets and caused governments around the world to scramble. Trump responded to the meeting on Monday, saying China and Vietnam were working to “figure how we mess up the United States of America.” In Malaysia, XI is expected to discuss a free trade agreement between China and the Southeast Asian 10-person association, as Malaysia is the chairman of the association this year. Xi Jinping will meet with Sultan King Ibrahim on Wednesday morning, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim later in the day.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn told Chinese state media that the agreement would eliminate many tariffs between China and its members. “In many cases, we will add more tariffs to zero and then expand to all areas,” he said in an interview with CGTN, an English-language channel of the state broadcaster.
Malaysia is home to several belt and road initiatives, including a $11.2 billion China Railway Project. China is also its largest trading partner and a major source of foreign direct investment.
Xi Jinping’s tour may be planned until the tariff announcements undermine the global economy.
“From China’s perspective, this is mainly to ensure that China’s influence in the region remains strong and dynamic, with Southeast Asia being China’s main trading partner,” said Oh EI Sun, senior researcher at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.
But the timing of the trip, as well as Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia, are countries affected by Trump’s tariffs, provides Beijing with an opportunity to predict how it will act as a “responsible” superpower, one of China’s long-term stances.
“In this turbulent time, China can provide a lot of services to Vietnam and other ASEAN countries,” said Nguyen Thanh Trung, professor of Vietnamese Studies at Fulbright University. “I think China can be a leader.”
Anwar called China a “real friend” during Li Qiang’s visit in June, and has visited China three times since he came to power in November 2022.
China’s claims on the South China Sea are a point of debate with Vietnam and Malaysia. Anwar vowed last September that Malaysia would not succumb to China’s demands to stop its oil and gas exploration in oil-rich marine areas in the South China Sea as the activity is within the country’s waters.
