Chinese President Xi Jinping paid official visits to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia between April 14 and 18, 2025. These visits aimed to further deepen relations shaped not only by geographical proximity but also by longstanding mutual cooperation and solidarity. Xi’s visits were part of China’s efforts to strengthen its vision of regional cooperation and to enhance future economic and political collaboration.
One of the first stops during Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam on April 14 was the capital Hanoi, where high-level talks marked a significant step toward deepening the strategic partnership between China and Vietnam. During these meetings, both countries emphasized the need to align their development strategies. In particular, it was decided to accelerate joint projects within the framework of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.[1] This partnership not only serves the economic development goals of both countries but also aims to contribute to regional peace and security. One of China’s top priorities in the ongoing global economic restructuring process is to strengthen economic ties with neighboring countries and invite key partners like Vietnam into closer cooperation.
China’s support for Vietnam extends beyond the economic sphere and follows a strategy aimed at reinforcing solidarity in international relations as well. The strategic partnership developed with Vietnam not only enables both countries to gain greater influence on the global stage but also contributes to balancing the United States’ dominance in global trade. In this context, the economic ties between China and Vietnam represent a key balancing factor not only at the regional level but also globally, playing a critical role in China’s broader economic competition with the U.S.
On April 15, Xi Jinping continued his tour with a visit to Malaysia, where he held highly significant meetings. The two countries aim to strengthen their strategic partnership to enhance modernization efforts and address global economic challenges. Within this framework, China and Malaysia agreed to expand cooperation in four key areas: the digital economy, the green economy, the blue economy, and the tourism economy.[2] Both sides stated their intention to align development strategies in these sectors, deepen the integration of industrial and supply chains, and thus elevate their economic relationship to a new level.
These efforts signify a vision that goes beyond traditional development models, prioritizing high-quality and sustainable growth. The commitment to integrating industrial, supply, value, data, and talent chains indicates that the two countries are preparing to establish deeper connections not only in production and trade but also in knowledge sharing and technology transfer.
In their joint statements, China and Malaysia also expressed clear support for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).[3] The emphasis on ASEAN centrality reflects China’s adoption of a strategy that prioritizes institutional multilateralism over competition in the region. Malaysia’s alignment with this approach indicates a growing trend among ASEAN member states toward establishing a balance based on cooperation with China. The shared vision of building a peaceful, secure, and prosperous regional order further reinforces China’s narrative of a “community with a shared future” in the region.
It is evident that this cooperation will not be confined to the economic sphere. China and Malaysia also plan to contribute to strengthening regional and global security. Key objectives include preserving peace and stability in the South China Sea, enhancing regional collaboration, and building a shared future through multilateral cooperation. Such collaboration serves as a message of reassurance not only between the two countries but also for other actors in the region. The commitment to maintaining peace and stability in contested areas such as the South China Sea can be seen as part of a broader strategy to improve the security architecture of the Asia-Pacific region.
Furthermore, their pledges for multilateral cooperation and a shared future reflect both countries’ aspirations to attain a stronger strategic position on the global stage. Through such partnerships, China aims to enhance its regional influence while contributing to the formation of a broader international order. At the same time, Malaysia’s efforts to engage with China while maintaining balanced relations with other major powers in the region help promote regional peace and safeguard its strategic autonomy.
On April 17, 2025, the final stop of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s official Southeast Asia tour was Cambodia, one of China’s traditional allies in the region. The timing of the visit, coinciding with the symbolic occasion of the Khmer New Year, clearly demonstrated Beijing’s desire to strengthen not only political ties but also cultural bonds. In his statements during the visit, Xi laid out the core orientations of China’s foreign policy toward Cambodia. The explicit support for Cambodia’s efforts to preserve its “strategic independence” reflects China’s broader approach of backing autonomous development paths in the region, particularly in the face of U.S. influence.[4] This discourse also serves China’s soft power strategy, reflecting its ambition to present an alternative development model to that of the West.
By describing China-Cambodia relations as ones that have “withstood the test of global transformations” yet “remained resilient,” Xi highlighted Beijing’s intention to frame this bilateral relationship not only in historical terms but also as a robust partnership capable of withstanding geopolitical upheavals. This emphasis is also part of China’s effort to legitimize its long-term presence in the region. A key feature of the visit was the reaffirmation of the “Diamond Hexagon” cooperation framework, previously developed through earlier engagements, which strengthens the institutional dimension of the relationship. This framework represents a multidimensional partnership model encompassing political trust, high-quality development, security cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, regional coordination, and strategic alignment.[5]This comprehensive approach shows that China is advancing not only through economic initiatives but also by promoting a multi-layered vision for regional architecture.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visits to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia were not solely aimed at deepening bilateral relations; they should also be interpreted as a strategic response from Beijing to the new tariffs imposed by the United States and Washington’s attempts to restructure global supply chains. Xi’s diplomatic tour of these three countries can be seen as part of China’s broader initiative to build a “network of reliable partners” in the face of a new protectionist economic order led by the U.S. The focus on areas such as the digital economy, green transformation, and supply chain integration indicates that China’s aim goes beyond simply circumventing tariffs. Rather, it seeks to establish integrated structures with regional production and technology hubs, thereby forming alternative economic blocs.
Xi Jinping’s visits to these nations represent more than a renewal of friendships, they are a deliberate effort to construct a regional “strategic buffer zone” against U.S. economic pressure. This diplomatic outreach reflects a recalibration of China’s foreign policy that underscores both its determination to remain at the center of global value chains and its aspiration to assert regional leadership on economic and geopolitical fronts.
In conclusion, Xi Jinping’s visits to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia represent not just a reaffirmation of traditional alliances, but a robust manifestation of China’s efforts to construct a multifaceted strategic front in response to the new economic order being shaped by U.S. tariffs. These engagements are part of Beijing’s broader ambition to restructure its economic, political, and normative influence in the region, not only to preserve its position within global value chains but also to build an alternative development vision grounded in regional solidarity.
[1] “China, Vietnam agree to build all-round cooperation pattern”, Xinhua, https://english.news.cn/20250415/f0c1b42c44354be3a7003fc4f4f34082/c.html, (Date Accession: 17.04.2025).
[2] “China, Malaysia agree to build high-level strategic community with shared future”, Xinhua, https://english.news.cn/20250417/0e3505d50f1c44379b866cd2dfd32a5d/c.html, (Date Accession: 17.04.2025).
[3] “China, Malaysia pledge support for ASEAN”, The State Council the People’s Republic of China, https://shorturl.at/66Sep, (Date Accession: 17.04.2025).
[4] “Xi says China firmly supports Cambodia upholding strategic independence”, China.org.cn, http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2025-04/17/content_117829639.htm, (Date Accession: 17.04.2025).
[5] “Xi says looking forward to cementing friendship, promoting cooperation with Cambodia”, Xinhua, https://english.news.cn/20250417/ae8a63f9a070461c8cf788f18cb85c4e/c.html, (Date Accession: 17.04.2025).
