China’s Xi wraps up Malaysia visit with jet, chip deals before heading to Cambodia

The Chinese president’s tour through Southeast Asia comes as Beijing seeks to position itself as the region’s most dependable trade partner

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) accompanied by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (R) while walking towards an aircraft for departure at the Bunga Raya Complex in Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on April 17. Xi departed to Cambodia after three day state visit to Malaysia. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 3:15pm, 17 Apr 2025Updated: 1:08pm, 18 Apr 2025

Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his first visit to Malaysia in over a decade on Thursday with a flurry of trade and investment pledges – including support for Chinese-made aircraft sales and semiconductor cooperation – as Beijing seeks to position itself as Southeast Asia’s most dependable partner amid Washington’s intensifying trade war.

The visit came as China moved to cast itself as the defender of global trade, calling on nations to push back against escalating tariff threats from US President Donald Trump’s administration that have shocked exporters and sent governments scrambling to negotiate lower import levies into the world’s largest consumer market.

Xi’s stop in Malaysia, part of a week-long tour of Southeast Asia, came in the wake of Washington’s announcement of sweeping tariffs on goods from the region, ranging from 24 to 49 per cent. Although these measures were subsequently suspended for 90 days, they have raised serious concerns about future access to American buyers.

During his stop in Kuala Lumpur – his first since 2013 – Xi oversaw the signing of dozens of agreements with Malaysia, including deals on railway and aviation cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as partnerships in technology and energy.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim jointly witness the exchange of bilateral cooperation documents after their talks in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on April 16. Photo: Xinhua

In a joint statement, China and Malaysia said they will continue to work together under international frameworks like the United Nations (UN) and World Trade Organization (WTO), and “reject the unilateral trade restrictive measures including arbitrary tariff hikes that are inconsistent with WTO rules”.