Xi calls on China Vietnam to oppose unilateral bullying on regional tour

HANOI - Chinese leader Xi Jinping on April 14 called on his country and Vietnam to “oppose unilateral bullying”, Beijing’s state media reported, during a regional tour as leaders confront US tariffs.

Mr Xi is in Vietnam for the first leg of a South-east Asia tour, with Beijing trying to present itself as a reliable alternative to an erratic US President Donald Trump, who announced – and then mostly reversed – sweeping tariffs this month.

He was welcomed to Hanoi on April 14 with a 21-cannon salute, a guard of honour and rows of flag-waving children at the presidential palace, before holding talks with Vietnam’s top leaders including General Secretary To Lam.

Mr Xi told Mr Lam their two countries must “jointly oppose unilateral bullying, and uphold the stability of the global free trade system as well as industrial and supply chains”, according to the Xinhua news agency.

The two neighbours signed 45 cooperation agreements, including on supply chains, artificial intelligence, joint maritime patrols and railway development.

Mr Xi’s visit comes almost two weeks after the United States – the biggest export market for Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse, in the first three months of 2025 – imposed a 46 per cent levy on Vietnamese goods as part of a global tariff blitz.

Although the US tariffs on Vietnam and most other countries have been paused, China still faces enormous levies and is seeking to tighten regional trade ties and offset their impact during Mr Xi’s first overseas trip of 2025.

Mr Xi will depart Vietnam on April 15, travelling to Malaysia and Cambodia on a tour that “bears major importance” for the broader region, Beijing has said.

Speaking during a meeting with Mr Lam, Mr Xi said Vietnam and China were “standing at the turning point of history... and