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China’s leader is on a charm offensive in the region, but some of Beijing’s neighbors are wary of being caught in the crossfire of a superpower rivalry.
April 13, 2025, 1:39 a.m. ET
As China faces off with the United States over a punishing trade war, it is under pressure to shore up its friendships around the world, starting with its neighbors in Southeast Asia. But its relations there are complicated.
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, will be testing these ties this week as he visits Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia in the hope of blunting the effect of huge tariffs imposed by President Trump on Chinese exports to the United States.
Mr. Xi is likely to cast China as a reliable global partner in contrast to the unpredictable United States of President Trump, whose on-again, off-again tariffs have upended financial markets and confounded governments. While in Vietnam, for instance, Mr. Xi is expected to oversee the signing of around 40 agreements, including deals that would advance plans for Vietnam to accept Chinese loans for part of a $8.3 billion railway connecting northern Vietnam with China.
But his visit also points to a diplomatic tightrope that countries like Vietnam and Malaysia must walk as the Southeast Asian nations try to negotiate with the Trump administration for a reprieve from the tariffs.
Mr. Xi’s tour will start in Vietnam on Monday, followed by a three-day visit to Malaysia, ending the week in Cambodia.
Trade at the Forefront
For the past decade, Beijing has engaged in a huge push to extend its economic and political influence across Southeast Asia. China is now the region’s most important trading partner. Senior officials, including Mr. Xi, regularly travel there.
