From April 14–18, 2025,

President of China The president of China, officially the president of the People's Republic of China, is the List of state representatives of the People's Republic of China, state representative of the China, People's Republic of China. On its own, it is a Fig ...

and

General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party The general secretary of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party ( zh, s=中国共产党中央委员会总书记, p=Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng Zhōngyāng Wěiyuánhuì Zǒngshūjì) is the leader of the Chinese Communist Part ...

Xi Jinping Xi Jinping, pronounced (born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has been the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China), chairman of the Central Military Commission ...

made state visits to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia. As the trade conflict between the U.S. and China escalates, China seeks to fortify relationships with European and Asian nations.

Background

In December 2023, CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping conducted a state visit to Vietnam. In August 2024,

Tô Lâm Tô Lâm (; born 10 July 1957) is a Vietnamese politician and former police officer who has served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) since August 2024 and the 13th p ...

traveled to China on his inaugural international tour following his appointment as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (Vietnam's top leader). During this visit, the two nations released a joint statement aimed at further fortifying the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and advancing the establishment of a Vietnam–China Community with a Shared Future. On April 2, 2025,

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

unleashed " Reciprocal tariffs", in which Cambodia faces tariffs as high as 49 percent, Vietnam 46 percent, and Malaysia 24 percent due to the global trade conflict initiated by

, prompting these nations to engage in negotiations with the United States. China and Vietnam are anticipated to formalize over 40 agreements during the visit, including some pertaining to railroads. Furthermore, the two nations will execute accords pertaining to security and law enforcement. On April 8–9, 2025, the

2025 Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries The 2025 Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries ( zh, 中央周边工作会议) was a prominent Chinese meeting that occurred on April 8-9, 2025, in Beijing. All seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese ...

was held in Beijing. All seven members of the

Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party The Politburo Standing Committee (PSC), officially the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is a committee consisting of the top leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) an ...

—

Li Qiang Li Qiang (; born July 1959) is a Chinese politician who has been serving as the eighth and current premier of China since March 2023. He has been elevated to the second-ranking member on the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist ...

Zhao Leji Zhao Leji (born 8 March 1958) is a Chinese politician who is the current chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the third-ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. In his ...

Wang Huning Wang Huning (; born 6 October 1955) is a Chinese politician who is one of the top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He is currently the Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, chairman of the National C ...

Cai Qi Cai Qi ( zh, c=蔡奇, p=Cài Qí; born December 5, 1955) is a Chinese politician, who is the current first-ranked secretary of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), fifth-ranking member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee ...

Ding Xuexiang Ding Xuexiang (born 13 September 1962) is a Chinese politician who is currently the first-ranked vice premier of China and the sixth-ranked member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. Considered a close confidan ...

, and Li Xi—along with

Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

Han Zheng Han Zheng (; born April 1954) is a Chinese politician who since 2023 has served as the 11th Vice President of China, vice president of China. He previously served as the Vice Premier of China, first-ranking vice premier of China between 2018 and ...

, participated in the meeting. A statement issued post-meeting emphasized the surrounding nations as a crucial basis for China's development and prosperity. Two days later, on April 11, 2025, the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

of the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

declared that Xi Jinping undertakes a state visit to Vietnam from April 14 to 15, 2025, at the invitation of

, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and

Lương Cường Lương Cường (; born 15 August 1957) is a Vietnamese politician and former army General officer, general who is currently serving as the 14th president of Vietnam since October 2024. He also served as the permanent Member of the Secretariat s ...

, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Xi Jinping conducted a state visit to Malaysia and Cambodia from April 15 to 18, 2025, at the invitation of Malaysia's Supreme Head Ibrahim and Cambodia's King Sihamoni.

Visits

Vietnam

On April 14, General Secretary Xi Jinping arrived in Hanoi, other

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

senior officials

Wang Yi Wang Yi ( zh, s=王毅, p=Wáng Yì; born 19 October 1953) is a Chinese diplomat and politician who has been serving as Director of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission Office since January 2023, and ...

, and

Wang Xiaohong Wang Xiaohong ( zh, c=王小洪, p=Wáng Xiǎohóng; born 11 July 1957) is a Chinese politician who has been serving as the minister of public security of China and deputy secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the C ...

together visited Vietnam. Xi was welcomed by

President of Vietnam The president of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam () is the head of state of Vietnam, elected by the National Assembly of Vietnam from its delegates. Since Vietnam is a one-party state, candidates for the post are nominated by the Central Commit ...

Trần Cẩm Tú Trần Cẩm Tú (; born 25 August 1961) is a Vietnamese politician. He is a Permanent Member of the Secretariat and was a Chairman of the Central Inspection Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam. He is also a Vice Chairmen of Central S ...

and , along with other Vietnamese Party and government officials. On the afternoon of April 14, the

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam The general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (), simply and informally the party general secretary or just general secretary (, TBT), is the contemporary title for the holder of the highest office within the Commu ...

conducted an elaborate welcoming ceremony for General Secretary Xi Jinping, followed by discussions between the two leaders. Subsequent to the discussions, the general secretaries of the two parties observed the presentation of 45 bilateral cooperation agreements signed by China and Vietnam, encompassing domains such as connectivity,

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...

, customs, inspection and quarantine, agricultural trade, culture and sports, public welfare, human resource development, and media. The two parties released the Joint Declaration of the People's Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam regarding the ongoing enhancement of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the expedited development of the China-Vietnam Community of Strategic Significance. Meanwhile, on April 14,

, the first Secretary of the CCP Central Committee's Secretariat, engaged in discussions with

, the

Permanent Member of the Secretariat The Permanent Member of the Secretariat, officially the Permanent Member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee's Secretariat (), is a senior position within the Communist Party of Vietnam. The Permanent Member is appointed by the Po ...

in Hanoi. The two parties expressed their intent to enhance mutual understanding and appreciation of governance ideas and practices, foster pragmatic collaboration, reinforce the social foundation of Vietnam-China relations, and increase cooperation in international and regional matters. In the evening, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam,

, and Vietnamese President

co-hosted a welcoming feast for Xi. All prominent comrades, including all members of the

Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam The Political Bureau (Politburo) of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee is the highest body of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in between gatherings of the National Congress and of the plenary sessions Central Committee. Accord ...

and the secretary of the CPCV's Secretariat, accompanied him. General Secretary Xi also convened with

Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam The Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam () is the legislative speaker of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, presiding over the National Assembly. The National Assembly is, in the words of the constitution, "the highest representative o ...

Trần Thanh Mẫn Trần Thanh Mẫn (; born 12 August 1962) is a Vietnamese politician who has been the 13th chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam since May 2024. Following the resignation of Vương Đình Huệ, Mẫn was "assigned to manage National As ...

and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the

Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam ( Vietnamese: ''Ban Chấp hành Trung ương Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam''), commonly the Party Central Committee (PCC; - or ), is the highest organ between two national congresses ...

. On the morning of April 15, Xi Jinping convened with

at the

Presidential Palace A presidential palace is the official residence of the president in some countries. Some presidential palaces were once the official residences to monarchs in former monarchies that were preserved during those states' transition into republics. ...

. Xi met

again, and the two parties reiterated their political commitment to collaboratively enhance the cause of global socialism, anticipated the comprehensive advancement of strategic cooperation between the nations towards the overarching objective of "six elevations," and expressed their dedication to countering external risks and challenges while upholding regional peace and stability, as well as international equity and justice. On the afternoon of April 15, Xi concluded his state visit to Vietnam. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, along with

, Le Hoai Trung, and other Vietnamese officials were present at the airport to bid farewell.

Malaysia

On the evening of April 15, Xi Jinping landed in

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

to conduct a state visit to Malaysia at the invitation of the nation's supreme leader,

Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor Ibrahim ibni Iskandar (; born Tunku Ibrahim Ismail ibni Tunku Mahmood Iskandar, 22 November 1958) is the King of Malaysia and the fifth Sultan of modern Johor. Ibrahim was born during the reign of his great-grandfather, Sultan Sir Ibrahim, ...

. Upon the arrival of Xi's plane at

Kuala Lumpur International Airport Kuala Lumpur International Airport is the main international airport serving Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. It is located in the Sepang District of Selangor, approximately south of downtown Kuala Lumpur and serves the Greater Kuala L ...

Prime Minister of Malaysia The prime minister of Malaysia (; ) is the head of government of Malaysia. The prime minister directs the executive branch of the Government of Malaysia, federal government. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints the prime minister who is a membe ...

Anwar Ibrahim Anwar bin Ibrahim (; born 10 August 1947), also known by his abbreviation as DSAI and PMX, is a Malaysian politician who is the 10th prime minister of Malaysia since 2022. A member of the People's Justice Party (Malaysia), People's Justice P ...

Foreign Minister In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

Mohamad Hasan,

Minister of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...

Anthony Loke Loke Siew Fook (; born 28 April 1977) also known as Anthony Loke is a Malaysian politician who has served as the Minister of Transport for the first term in the Unity Government administration under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim since Decembe ...

, and other top officials were present to greet Chinese visitors. On April 16, Malaysia's Supreme Head of State, Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor, convened a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the

Istana Negara, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim The Istana Negara (English: National Palace; Jawi: ) is the official residence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia). It is located along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim (formerly Jalan Duta) near Taman Duta, northwestern Kuala Lumpur. ...

. In the afternoon, President Xi and

Anwar Ibrahim engaged in discussions at the Seri Perdana. After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of over 30 bilateral cooperation agreements between China and Malaysia, encompassing collaboration on three significant global initiatives: the “Dialogue between Confucianism and Islamic Civilization” (), the digital economy, service trade, the enhancement and development of the “twin parks” ( Malaysia–China Kuantan Industrial Park and China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park) of both nations, joint laboratories, artificial intelligence, railways, intellectual property rights, agricultural exports to China, mutual

visa exemption Visa most commonly refers to: * Travel visa, a document that allows entry to a foreign country * Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Vi ...

giant panda The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear or simply panda, is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its white animal coat, coat with black patches around the eyes, ears, legs and shoulders. ...

conservation, and additional domains. The two parties released the Joint Declaration of the People's Republic of China and Malaysia on Establishing a High-Level Strategic China-Malaysia Community of Destiny. On the morning of April 17, President Xi Jinping completed his state visit to Malaysia.

Anwar and

Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

Mohamed, together with Minister of Transportation Anthony Loke and other top officials, attended

to bid farewell.

Cambodia

Xi arrived in

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Cambodia, most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since 1865 and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its political, economic, industr ...

for a state visit to Cambodia on April 17, 2025. King Sihamoni, and Prince Xakarpong, Princess Arun, and other royal family members, along with the President of the

Cambodian People's Party The Cambodian People's Party (CPP; , UNGEGN: ) is a Cambodian political party which has ruled the country since 1979. Founded in 1951, it was originally known as the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP). During the Cold War it allied ...

Hun Sen Samdech Hun Sen (; , Romanization of Khmer#UNGEGN, UNGEGN: ; born 5 August 1952) is a Cambodian politician and former military officer who currently serves as the List of presidents of the Senate (Cambodia), president of the Senate. He previous ...

, First Vice President of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

Cheam Yeab, and five

Deputy Prime Ministers Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...

Kuy Sophal Kuy Sophal (), is a Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam ...

Prak Sokhonn Prak Sokhonn (; born 3 May 1954) is a Cambodian politician, diplomat and journalist who has served as deputy prime minister and foreign minister since 2024. He previously served in the same positions from 2016 to 2023. He briefly served as vic ...

Hang Chuon Naron Hangchuon Naron ( ; born 2 January 1962) is a Cambodian academic, economist, and politician who is the current Minister for Education, Youth and Sport, serving since 2013. A member of the Cambodian People's Party, he was Secretary of State of E ...

Sar Sokha Sar Sokha (; born 4 June 1981) is a Cambodian politician and police general who currently serves as deputy prime minister and Minister of Interior. He was the secretary of state at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (Cambodia), Ministry o ...

, and Hun Many—welcomed Xi at the airport. In the afternoon, King Sihamoni of Cambodia and Xi convened in the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. Subsequently, President Xi Jinping convened a meeting with Hun Sen, the president of the Cambodian People's Party and the Senate, at the

Peace Palace The Peace Palace ( ; ) is an international law administrative building in The Hague, Netherlands. It houses the International Court of Justice (which is the principal judicial body of the United Nations), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PC ...

. On the evening of that day, Xi engaged in discussions with Cambodian Prime Minister

Hun Manet Hun Manet (, ; born 20 October 1977) is a Cambodian politician and general who has served as Prime Minister of Cambodia since 2023, succeeding his father, Hun Sen. He is also the vice president of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP). Pri ...

. The two leaders concurred to collaborate in establishing a resilient China-Cambodia community of destiny in the coming era and proclaimed 2025 as the “Year of China-Cambodia Tourism.” Subsequent to the discussions, the two presidents observed the signing of over 30 bilateral cooperation agreements, encompassing domains such as supply chain collaboration, artificial intelligence, developmental aid, customs, inspection and quarantine, health, and journalism. The two parties released the Joint Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Kingdom of Cambodia regarding the establishment of a resilient China-Cambodia Community of Destiny in the New Era and the execution of three global initiatives. Besides, Xi and Queen consort of Cambodia

Norodom Monineath Norodom Monineath Sihanouk (, ; born Paule Monique Izzi; 18 June 1936) is the Queen Mother of Cambodia. She was Queen of Cambodia from 1993 to 2004, as the wife of King Norodom Sihanouk. She is the widow of King-Father Norodom Sihanouk, whom sh ...

convened at the

Royal Palace of Cambodia The Royal Palace of Cambodia () is a complex of buildings which serves as the official official residence, royal residence of the Monarchy of Cambodia, King of Cambodia. Its full name in Khmer language, Khmer is the ''Preah Barom Reacheaveang Cha ...

. On the morning of April 18, President Xi Jinping arrived back in

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

following a state visit to Cambodia. Upon his departure from

, along with Ouch Borith, First Vice-president of the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

, and Cheam Yeab, First Vice-president of the

, bid him farewell. In the afternoon, Xi returned to Beijing.

References