Hanoi. Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized that no one wins in a trade war as he began a diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia on Monday, positioning China as a stabilizing force in contrast to US President Donald Trump’s latest tariff actions.

While Trump has paused some tariffs, he has kept in place 145 percent duties on Chinese imports, affecting the world’s second-largest economy.

“There are no winners in a trade war, or a tariff war,” Xi wrote in an editorial published jointly by Vietnamese and Chinese media. “Our two countries should resolutely safeguard the multilateral trading system, stable global industrial and supply chains, and an open and cooperative international environment.”

Xi’s visit serves as an opportunity for China to present itself as a "responsible superpower," in contrast to the US under Trump, said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute.

Xi was welcomed on the tarmac by Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong at the start of his two-day visit,  an honor not often extended to foreign dignitaries, according to Nguyen Thanh Trung, a professor of Vietnamese studies at Fulbright University Vietnam. A drum art group performed as women waved Chinese and Communist Party flags.

While the visit was likely planned earlier, it gains significance amid the ongoing tariff conflict between China and the US. The trip offers Beijing a chance to strengthen regional alliances and explore solutions to counter the high trade barriers the US has imposed on Chinese exports.

During his time in Hanoi, Xi met with Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, noting the two countries’ shared commitment to peaceful development. He said their partnership has brought stability and certainty to the global stage.

Xi also met with Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, where the two sides signed several memorandums, though details were not disclosed. According to Nhan Dan, the official mouthpiece of Vietnam’s Communist Party, China and Vietnam will accelerate a $8 billion railway project that was approved earlier in February.

Xi’s Visit Sends a Political Message

The timing of the visit sends a clear political message, signaling Southeast Asia’s importance to China, said Huong Le-Thu from the International Crisis Group. With US tariffs weighing heavily, Southeast Asian nations are concerned that the trade war could disrupt their economic development.

Vietnam has adeptly balanced its relationships with both the US and China. While it operates under a communist, one-party system like China, it has also fostered strong ties with the US In 2023, Vietnam was the only country to host both US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The same year, Vietnam upgraded its diplomatic ties with the US to match those with China and Russia.

In 2024, China-Vietnam trade surged by 14.6  percent, making China Vietnam’s largest trading partner.

As businesses have sought alternatives to China, Vietnam has benefited, attracting companies looking to relocate their supply chains. However, the intensification of the trade war places Vietnam in a “precarious situation,” according to Giang, as the US perceives it as a backdoor for Chinese goods. Before the 90-day tariff pause, Vietnam was hit with a 46 percent tariff by the US.

Although China and Vietnam share significant trade relations, they also have long-standing territorial disputes in the South China Sea, where Vietnam has clashed with China’s coast guard but generally avoids publicizing these confrontations.

Following his visit to Vietnam, Xi is expected to travel to Malaysia and Cambodia.

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