Xi argues protectionism is pointless on his Southeast Asia tour.

• Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrives in Vietnam on his first overseas trip of the year, aiming to tighten regional trade ties and offset the impact of tariffs levied by the U.S. President Donald Trump.

• He urged Vietnam and Malaysia to safeguard the multilateral trading system, stable global industrial and supply chains, and an open international environment.

• Vietnam’s top leader, To Lam, expressed readiness to join hands with China to make cooperation more substantive, profound, balanced, and sustainable.

• Vietnam was Southeast Asia’s biggest buyer of Chinese goods in 2024, with a bill of $1161.9 billion.

• Xi will visit Malaysia from Tuesday to Thursday, part of the government’s efforts to improve trade relations with various countries, including China.