China asks the US to ‘complete cancellation’ of reciprocal tariffs

Xi goes to Southeast Asia to strengthen commercial ties

In the midst of US customs offensive, Chinese President Xi Jinping begins a trip through Southeast Asia on Monday (14) to strengthen his country’s business relations and make him appear as a reliable partner, in contrast to the United States, which launched a global commercial offensive.

Xi must visit Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia, where he will meet with his counterparts, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These are your first visits of the year outside China.

Southeast Asia is critical to Chinese exports: Last year, the countries of the regional bloc, Asean, were their main recipients, with a total of US $ 586.5 billion in goods, according to data from Chinese customs. Among them, Vietnam stood out with $ 161.9 billion, from far the highest value, ahead of Malaysia ($ 101.5 billion). It is true that after announcing additional customs of 46% for Vietnam and 24% for Malaysia, among other countries, Donald Trump said he would advance his application for 90 days.

Strengthening ties with their Southeast Asian neighbors can help Beijing counterbalance the effects of the US commercial offensive, the largest importer of Chinese products in 2024.

China wants to “show that it is the opposite of the coercive and selfish United States,” says Huong Le Thu, the deputy director for Asia of the International Crisis Group.