China’s President Xi Jinping has called on Vietnam to oppose “unilateral bullying” in the global trade system, as tensions with the US continue to escalate. The comments come during a regional charm offensive by Xi, who is visiting several countries including Malaysia and Cambodia.
The visit has taken on increased significance amid a mounting trade war between China and the US. Vietnam was facing tariffs of up to 46% from the US before a temporary pause was announced last week.
US President Donald Trump described Xi’s meeting with Vietnamese leaders as an attempt to “figure out how to screw the United States.” However, experts say Xi is taking a shrewd approach by positioning China as the defender of rules-based trade and painting the US as a reckless rogue nation.
China has imposed tariffs of 145% on most Chinese imports from the US, while Beijing responded with its own 125% tariffs on American products. The Trump administration has since announced that some electronic devices will be excluded from the US tariff, but Trump later disputed this report.
Xi’s visit to Vietnam is seen as a “golden opportunity” for China to score a narrative win by portraying itself as a reliable and trustworthy partner in regional trade. Experts expect Xi to continue this message during his upcoming visits to Malaysia and Cambodia.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrgk2338dvo