Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to embark on a three-nation tour of Southeast Asia next week—his first overseas trip of the year—as Beijing looks to bolster ties with its closest neighbours amid an escalating trade war with the United States.According to state-run Xinhua news agency, Xi will visit Vietnam from April 14 to 15, followed by Malaysia and Cambodia from April 15 to 18.
With China facing 145% tariffs from the US, the country is seeking to strengthen regional partnerships with neighbours similarly affected by former US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs. Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia—subjected to 49%, 46%, and 24% tariffs, respectively—are already in talks with Washington for relief, while China remains excluded from such negotiations.
In a parallel diplomatic development, the UK’s Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, made a rare visit to China this week—the first by a British military chief in a decade.China’s defence ministry confirmed the meeting in a brief statement, saying that Radakin met senior Chinese military officials in Beijing to discuss “issues of common concern.”
With China facing 145% tariffs from the US, the country is seeking to strengthen regional partnerships with neighbours similarly affected by former US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs. Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia—subjected to 49%, 46%, and 24% tariffs, respectively—are already in talks with Washington for relief, while China remains excluded from such negotiations.
In a parallel diplomatic development, the UK’s Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, made a rare visit to China this week—the first by a British military chief in a decade.China’s defence ministry confirmed the meeting in a brief statement, saying that Radakin met senior Chinese military officials in Beijing to discuss “issues of common concern.”
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