Exclusive | China woos the neighbours, with Xi Jinping said to be planning 3-country tour in April

The Chinese leader is expected to spend three days in Malaysia as well as visit Vietnam and Cambodia

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Chinese President Xi Jinping during his last Southeast Asian visit in December 2023, pictured being welcomed to Vietnam. Photo: AP

Published: 11:55am, 31 Mar 2025Updated: 12:38am, 1 Apr 2025

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to embark on a swing around Southeast Asia next month as Beijing accelerates its efforts to deepen neighbourhood ties amid regional anxiety about US foreign policy during Donald Trump’s second administration.

Diplomatic sources said Xi would be likely to set off in mid-April, with stops in Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia. One source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said plans were being made for the Chinese leader to spend three days in Malaysia.

Another source, who also asked not to be named, said the Malaysian visit would build on Xi’s productive November meeting in Beijing with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The trip would “definitely [be] good” for boosting bilateral ties, the source added.

The Southeast Asian tour will mark Xi’s first foreign visits of the year and comes at a time when China is pushing for stronger ties with neighbouring countries to present itself as a credible and responsible regional partner.

It also coincides with heightened worries over Washington’s commitment to the region, especially as Trump has appeared to call into question the value of its historical alliances and partnerships.

China has strong and established trading ties with the region, but it also has a series of long-standing territorial disputes with several countries regarding overlapping claims in the South China Sea.