Xi to Visit Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia Next Week in First Trip of 2025 Amid Escalating US Tariffs

BEIJING, April 11 — Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia next week, marking his first official overseas trip of 2025, Beijing’s foreign ministry announced today.

A ministry spokesperson said the Southeast Asian tour will run from Monday through Friday.

The trip comes amid escalating trade tensions with the United States, sparked by tariff hikes under President Donald Trump. Many Chinese goods now face import duties as high as 145 per cent upon entering the US market.

Xi will begin his tour in Vietnam at the invitation of President Luong Cuong. His last visit to the country was in December 2023.

Vietnam has long adopted a “bamboo diplomacy” strategy, carefully balancing its relationships with both China and the United States. While it shares Washington’s concerns over Beijing’s assertive stance in the South China Sea, it also maintains strong economic ties with China.

Xi's visit to Malaysia will take place from April 15 to 17, according to an announcement by the Malaysian government earlier this week.

Malaysian Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the visit is “part of the government’s efforts to strengthen trade relations with various countries, including China.”

On Thursday, Xi will travel to Cambodia, one of China’s closest allies in the region. In recent years, Beijing has deepened its influence there through extensive infrastructure investments.

Under former Prime Minister Hun Sen—father of current Prime Minister Hun Manet—China invested billions in Cambodia, even as Phnom Penh’s ties with Washington became increasingly strained.

Cambodia has described Xi’s upcoming visit as a “milestone” that will further solidify the longstanding friendship between the two nations. — AFP