Xi's trip to Southeast Asia aimed at boosting regional growth
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to embark on state visits to three Southeast Asian nations—Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia—next week, as announced by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday.
TroibNews 
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to embark on state visits to three Southeast Asian nations—Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia—next week, according to an announcement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday.
The five-day trip, spanning from Monday to Friday, marks Xi's first international journey of the year.
These visits coincide with a recent central conference on neighborhood work where Xi emphasized the importance of fostering a community with a shared future alongside China’s neighboring countries.
Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, highlighted that neighboring countries are a priority in China's diplomatic efforts, stating, “China and Southeast Asian countries are good neighbors, good friends and good partners with a shared future.”
Lin underscored the significance of Xi's forthcoming visits to Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations overall, asserting that they are expected to provide fresh impetus for peace and development in the region and globally.
China and Vietnam: Camaraderie plus brotherhood
From Monday to Tuesday, Xi will visit Vietnam for the fourth time as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China and as president. This visit aligns with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam, where the two socialist nations have established a strong bond described as "camaraderie plus brotherhood."
Xi's last trip to Vietnam occurred in December 2023. During this visit, both countries agreed to work towards a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, a relationship they deemed strategically significant, elevating bilateral ties.
In recent years, economic and trade cooperation between China and Vietnam has flourished. China has been the largest trading partner for Vietnam since 2004, and since 2016, Vietnam has held the title of China’s largest trading partner within ASEAN. Bilateral trade volume has surpassed $200 billion for four consecutive years, reaching $260.65 billion in 2024, with a year-on-year increase of 13.5 percent, according to the Chinese Commerce Ministry.
Chinese direct investment in Vietnam exceeded $2.5 billion in 2024, indicating sustained growth and positioning Vietnam as a key overseas investment destination for China.
China and Malaysia: Models of win-win cooperation
The last time Xi visited Malaysia was in 2013, during which both countries elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. A decade later, Xi and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim came to an agreement in Beijing to jointly develop a China-Malaysia community with a shared future.
Relations between China and Malaysia have seen substantial high-level development in recent years. Frequent interactions at elite levels have strengthened political trust and yielded successful practical cooperation, serving as a model of mutual understanding and win-win cooperation among neighboring nations.
China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 years straight, with trade volume reaching a peak of $212.04 billion in 2024. Malaysian tropical fruits like durian, mangosteen, and jackfruit have gained popularity among consumers in China.
As significant developing countries and emerging economies within the Asia-Pacific region, both sides view the impending visit as an important step toward enhancing China-Malaysia relations, according to Lin. Through this visit, China aims to fortify coordination with Malaysia on regional and international issues while advancing bilateral relations towards a high-level strategic partnership and contributing to the strength and unity of the Global South, along with regional peace and stability.
China and Cambodia: Ironclad friendship
Xi's last state visit to Cambodia was in 2016. In September 2023, after taking office, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet chose China as his first official overseas destination, reaffirming Cambodia's diplomatic priorities. During their meeting, Xi and Hun Manet committed to further deepening their "ironclad friendship."
In recent years, the strategic mutual trust between China and Cambodia has deepened, with progress made in the "Diamond Hexagon" cooperation framework and the development of the Industrial Development Corridor and the "Fish and Rice Corridor," yielding fruitful outcomes across various areas of collaboration.
China has been Cambodia’s largest foreign investor and trading partner for multiple years. The China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement, effective January 1, 2022, is Cambodia's first bilateral free trade arrangement. In 2024, trade volume between Cambodia and China reached $15.1 billion, reflecting a substantial 23.8 percent year-on-year increase.
Lin mentioned that during Xi’s upcoming visit, discussions will focus on enhancing bilateral relations, exploring in-depth discussions on five key areas: political mutual trust, mutually beneficial cooperation, security, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and strategic coordination.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
The five-day trip, spanning from Monday to Friday, marks Xi's first international journey of the year.
These visits coincide with a recent central conference on neighborhood work where Xi emphasized the importance of fostering a community with a shared future alongside China’s neighboring countries.
Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, highlighted that neighboring countries are a priority in China's diplomatic efforts, stating, “China and Southeast Asian countries are good neighbors, good friends and good partners with a shared future.”
Lin underscored the significance of Xi's forthcoming visits to Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations overall, asserting that they are expected to provide fresh impetus for peace and development in the region and globally.
China and Vietnam: Camaraderie plus brotherhood
From Monday to Tuesday, Xi will visit Vietnam for the fourth time as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China and as president. This visit aligns with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam, where the two socialist nations have established a strong bond described as "camaraderie plus brotherhood."
Xi's last trip to Vietnam occurred in December 2023. During this visit, both countries agreed to work towards a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, a relationship they deemed strategically significant, elevating bilateral ties.
In recent years, economic and trade cooperation between China and Vietnam has flourished. China has been the largest trading partner for Vietnam since 2004, and since 2016, Vietnam has held the title of China’s largest trading partner within ASEAN. Bilateral trade volume has surpassed $200 billion for four consecutive years, reaching $260.65 billion in 2024, with a year-on-year increase of 13.5 percent, according to the Chinese Commerce Ministry.
Chinese direct investment in Vietnam exceeded $2.5 billion in 2024, indicating sustained growth and positioning Vietnam as a key overseas investment destination for China.
China and Malaysia: Models of win-win cooperation
The last time Xi visited Malaysia was in 2013, during which both countries elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. A decade later, Xi and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim came to an agreement in Beijing to jointly develop a China-Malaysia community with a shared future.
Relations between China and Malaysia have seen substantial high-level development in recent years. Frequent interactions at elite levels have strengthened political trust and yielded successful practical cooperation, serving as a model of mutual understanding and win-win cooperation among neighboring nations.
China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 years straight, with trade volume reaching a peak of $212.04 billion in 2024. Malaysian tropical fruits like durian, mangosteen, and jackfruit have gained popularity among consumers in China.
As significant developing countries and emerging economies within the Asia-Pacific region, both sides view the impending visit as an important step toward enhancing China-Malaysia relations, according to Lin. Through this visit, China aims to fortify coordination with Malaysia on regional and international issues while advancing bilateral relations towards a high-level strategic partnership and contributing to the strength and unity of the Global South, along with regional peace and stability.
China and Cambodia: Ironclad friendship
Xi's last state visit to Cambodia was in 2016. In September 2023, after taking office, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet chose China as his first official overseas destination, reaffirming Cambodia's diplomatic priorities. During their meeting, Xi and Hun Manet committed to further deepening their "ironclad friendship."
In recent years, the strategic mutual trust between China and Cambodia has deepened, with progress made in the "Diamond Hexagon" cooperation framework and the development of the Industrial Development Corridor and the "Fish and Rice Corridor," yielding fruitful outcomes across various areas of collaboration.
China has been Cambodia’s largest foreign investor and trading partner for multiple years. The China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement, effective January 1, 2022, is Cambodia's first bilateral free trade arrangement. In 2024, trade volume between Cambodia and China reached $15.1 billion, reflecting a substantial 23.8 percent year-on-year increase.
Lin mentioned that during Xi’s upcoming visit, discussions will focus on enhancing bilateral relations, exploring in-depth discussions on five key areas: political mutual trust, mutually beneficial cooperation, security, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and strategic coordination.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
Find more stories on Business, Economy and Finance in TROIB business
