Business journalist
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China’s President Xi Jinping urged Vietnam to resist “unilateral bullying” for the sake of maintaining a global free trade framework, though he refrained from directly mentioning the US.
This statement comes as Xi embarks on a so-called “charm offensive” tour through Southeast Asia, which will include stops in Malaysia and Cambodia.
Although the journey was pre-planned, it carries intensified importance in light of the escalating trade conflict between the US and China. Vietnam recently faced US tariffs of up to 46% before the Trump administration imposed a temporary 90-day halt last week.
US President Donald Trump labeled Xi’s discussions with Vietnamese leaders as a tactic aimed at plotting to undermine the United States.
According to Xinhua, Xi remarked to Vietnam’s Communist Party Secretary-General To Lam about the need to “jointly oppose unilateral bullying”.
“We should fortify our strategic resolve… and maintain the stability of the global free trade system alongside industrial and supply chains,” he asserted.
Stephen Olson, a former US trade negotiator, described Xi’s remarks as “a very clever tactical maneuver”.
“While Trump appears intent on dismantling the trade structure, Xi is positioning China as the defender of rules-based trade, depicting the US as a reckless rogue,” he added.
In the Oval Office, Trump expressed that he does not “blame” China or Vietnam, yet alleged they were exploring ways to undermine the US.
“That’s a lovely meeting. It’s like trying to figure out how to ‘screw the United States of America?'” Trump remarked.
The world’s two largest economies are enmeshed in a growing trade conflict, with the Trump administration recently enforcing tariffs of 145% on most Chinese imports. Beijing retaliated with its own 125% tariffs on American goods entering China.
A US customs notification revealed on Saturday that smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices would be exempt from the 125% tariff imposed on Chinese imports.
However, Trump soon took to social media to refute any exemptions for these items, branding such reports as false. He added that “they are just shifting to a different tariff ‘bucket'”.
A ‘golden opportunity’ for Xi
Xi arrived in Hanoi on Monday to a warm welcome, with citizens waving Chinese and Vietnamese flags.
He later met with key Vietnamese officials, including the Secretary-General and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
On Tuesday, Xi visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where he participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the resting site of Vietnam’s founding leader and Communist figure.
Despite his visit, Vietnam is cautious about managing the narrative that it is coordinating with China against the United States, given the significant importance of US partnership, said Susannah Patton, Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute.
“China serves as both an economic competitor and partner to Southeast Asian nations,” she noted.
Having concluded his visit to Vietnam, Xi is set to arrive in Malaysia later on Tuesday where he will meet the nation’s King and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
This occurs alongside an announcement from Malaysian mobile data service provider U Mobile, which is scheduled to launch the country’s second 5G network using technology from China’s Huawei and ZTE.
Patton anticipates Xi will continue to frame the US as “an unreliable [and] protectionist partner”.
She added that he is likely to “contrast China as a dependable ally”.
“Now presents a prime opportunity for China to secure a narrative victory. This will define how Xi’s trips to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia are perceived,” she concluded.
