WASHINGTON/HANOI: U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam, alleging it was aimed at undercutting the United States amid ongoing tariff battles. Speaking from the White House, Trump remarked, “Xi’s meeting with Vietnamese leaders looked like a strategy session on how to screw the U.S.”
Xi began a five-day tour of Southeast Asia with a two-day state visit to Hanoi, followed by planned stops in Malaysia and Cambodia, marking his first international trip of the year. The visit comes as U.S.-China trade tensions escalate, with both nations levying heavy tariffs on each other’s goods.
The U.S. recently imposed 145% tariffs on Chinese imports, prompting Beijing to retaliate with 125% duties on American products. Although Trump later reduced tariffs for countries like Vietnam and Malaysia to 10% and issued a 90-day suspension for enforcement, China remains excluded, except for certain tech items like smartphones and semiconductors.
In Hanoi, Xi and Vietnamese Communist Party Chief To Lam signed 45 bilateral agreements, covering AI collaboration, supply chain development, and railway infrastructure projects, including an $8.3 billion rail link connecting Vietnam’s northern coast with Kunming, China. Two additional cross-border rail links are under feasibility studies backed by a $1.36 million Chinese grant.
Xi, addressing Vietnamese officials, emphasized solidarity against “unilateral bullying”, a clear swipe at U.S. trade policy. He stressed, “A lone sailboat cannot survive stormy seas—only by cooperating can we sail far and steady.”
Vietnam, a vital U.S. trade partner, exports heavily to America—about 30% of its GDP is tied to U.S. demand, according to customs data. Facing a 46% U.S. tariff, Vietnam is negotiating reductions to 22–28% and has vowed to combat illegal transshipment of Chinese goods relabeled as “Made in Vietnam.”
During the visit, Xi also paid respects at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, reinforcing diplomatic ties with a tribute to Vietnam’s revolutionary leader before departing for Malaysia.
Analysts say Xi’s regional outreach aims to strengthen alliances amid growing skepticism of the U.S. in Southeast Asia. Ian Chong of the National University of Singapore noted that fluctuating U.S. policies have “damaged American credibility” in the region.
Malaysian Trade Minister Zafrul Aziz echoed this sentiment, calling U.S. tariff enforcement unfair and asserting that Malaysia would maintain neutral trade relations, refusing to choose sides in the economic power struggle.
In a guest column for Vietnam’s state-run Nhan Dan newspaper, Xi warned that “trade wars benefit no one” and urged cooperation to preserve global supply chains and multilateral trade frameworks.
As tensions mount, Vietnam continues to balance its “bamboo diplomacy”, seeking economic support from China while aligning strategically with the U.S. in the disputed South China Sea.
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