Chinese President Xi Jinping began a diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia on Monday, according to the South China Morning Post. He urged regional unity and free trade amid tensions with the United States. Xi's trip, which started in Vietnam and will include Malaysia and Cambodia, aims to reinforce China's influence in export-heavy economies and push back against what he called “unilateral bullying.” The tour follows Trump’s 90-day suspension of “reciprocal” tariffs, which had heavily impacted Southeast Asian exporters. Trump responded to the China-Vietnam meeting by accusing foreign powers of conspiring to harm U.S. interests.
