During his recent tour of Southeast Asia, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned against “the law of the jungle” and spoke of the shared “Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness”. In a world shocked by Trump’s tariffs, his message of solidarity and the promise of a stable and certain Asia is resonating – and not just in the region.
Advertisement
In Malaysia, Xi vowed that “in the face of shocks to the current international order and economic globalisation, our two nations will stand united with other countries in the region to jointly resist the undercurrents of geopolitical and camp-based confrontation”.
Praising China as a “rational, strong and reliable” partner in an era of geopolitical uncertainty, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim emphasised how China’s “global initiatives offer a new lease on hope”, while speaking of how “some nations abandon the principle of shared responsibility and others question long-standing commitments” – an implicit criticism of the Trump administration.
Anwar’s statement is particularly relevant. Malaysia is the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with the power to set its agenda. The bloc is China’s biggest export destination.
Malaysia is also in the midst of high-stakes negotiations to avoid a stiff US tariff, set at 24 per cent before the 90-day pause. China is excluded from the pause; the additional US tariff on Chinese imports has been raised to 145 per cent. On his Southeast Asia tour, Xi called on states to “overcome the counter-currents of unilateralism and protectionism, and safeguard the promising prospects for development in our shared Asian home”.
03:29
Xi wraps up Southeast Asia charm offensive tour, as Beijing calls for talks with Washington
Xi wraps up Southeast Asia charm offensive tour, as Beijing calls for talks with Washington
This message of solidarity in the face of Trumpian uncertainty has resonated also with traditional US allies in Europe, Japan and South Korea.