Xi Jinping to visit three Southeast Asian countries in his first foreign tour after Trump’s tariffs

BEIJING: (Apr 11) Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit three Southeast Asian countries early next week to strengthen regional cooperation in his first tour abroad after US President Donald Trump slapped 145 per cent tariffs against China’s exports intensifying the trade war with Beijing.

Xi will pay state visits to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia from April 14 to 18, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.

All three countries are part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping with which China had the largest trade amounting to USD 962.28 billion last year, with China’s exports totalling USD 575 billion. PTI