Xi goes on charm offensive in Southeast Asia

Amid an escalating trade war with the U.S., Beijing reaffirmed its message of free trade and opposition to protectionism

Welcome back to What’s Happening in China, your weekly China brief.

I hope you’ve had a great week.

Amid an escalating trade war with the U.S., Xi Jinping this week embarked on a charm offensive in Southeast Asia—his first overseas trip of the year—with stops in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia.

Throughout the tour, Xi emphasized repeated themes: support for global free trade and warnings against protectionism. In Vietnam, he signed 45 cooperation agreements and met with the country’s top leader, To Lam—a meeting that prompted Trump to remark that the two countries were “trying to figure out, how do we screw the United States of America.” Similarly, in Malaysia and Cambodia, Xi signed dozens of memorandums and agreements while promising greater access to the Chinese market.

Meanwhile, Trump continued to say he wants to make a deal with the PRC and expects Xi to call. Beijing responded: “If the U.S. truly wants to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation, it should stop using maxi…