BEIJING – President Xi Jinping is scheduled to begin official visits to three Southeast Asian countries on Monday after reaffirming the importance of strengthening China’s strategic ties with its neighbors.
President XI’s five-day tour to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia will continue until Friday.
Visit to Vietnam
He will begin his visit to Vietnam from Monday to Tuesday as Communist Party Chief of China’s Central Committee and as president of China. The visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which have developed lasting relationships.
Economic and trade cooperation between Beijing and Hanoi has shown consistent growth in recent years, according to data from China’s Ministry of Commerce cited by CGTN. Since 2004, China has established itself as Vietnam’s largest trading partner partner, and since 2016, Vietnam has been recognized as China’s largest trading partner partner in the ASEAN region. Bilateral trade volume has exceeded $200 billion for the fourth consecutive year, reaching a total of $26.065 billion in 2024, representing a 13.5% increase from the previous year.
Mark milestones
After touring Vietnam, President XI visits Malaysia. China-Malaysia partnerships have increased significantly. For the 16th consecutive year, China has been Malaysia’s most important trading partner, with trade volume reaching a high of $21.204 billion in 2024.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lynn Jiang said on Friday that XI’s visit to Malaysia would mark an important milestone in fostering an upgrade of relations between the two countries.
China-Cambodia cooperation
The Chinese president ends his regional trip by visiting Cambodia. China has consistently been Cambodia’s most important foreign investors and has been able to offer trading partners for years. The China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement, effective from January 1, 2022, represents Cambodia’s first bilateral trade agreement. In 2024, trade between Cambodia and China rose to $15.1 billion, reflecting a 23.8% increase from the previous year. A visit to Cambodia in Xi Chiang will pave the way for bilateral relations.
Develop friendship
Speaking at the Central Conference on Neighborhood Countries in Beijing from April 8th to 9th, President XI emphasized that he is creating communities with a shared future with Chinese neighbours and striving to open new ground for the work of his neighbours. Xi has also committed to strengthening strategic ties with neighbouring countries by “good” managing differences and strengthening supply chain ties.
Currently, XI’s next five-day visit highlights China’s initiative to cultivate friendships and strengthen relations with neighbouring countries. The commitment was highlighted by a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry in his address to the press on Friday. Lin said that neighbors are China’s priorities in diplomacy, and that China and Southeast Asian countries are common and good friends and good partners of the future.