China’s Commerce Minister Talks Trade and Tariffs With Malaysian Counterpart Ahead of Xi Visit

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao speaking via video conference with his Malaysian Trade Minister Tengku Zafrul on April 9, 2025 about closer trade ties with ASEAN ahead of President Xi Jinping's visit to Southeast Asia next week. Image via @tzafrul_aziz.

China’s Commerce Minister, Wang Wentao, met with his Malaysian counterpart Tengku Zafrul on Wednesday to discuss the tariff threat posed by the United States and how the two Asian countries can forge closer commercial ties.

The two ministers also discussed President Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit next week to three Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, which currently holds the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

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