Xi Jinping’s Strategic Visit to Malaysia: Navigating U.S. Tariff and Hedging with ASEAN

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during a bilateral meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at Diaoyutai Guest House in Beijing on April 11, 2025. (Photo by Andres MARTINEZ CASARES / POOL / AFP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Malaysia today with a clear message in his newly published article in Malaysian media: as Washington doubles down on tariffs, trade barriers, and economic containment, Beijing is looking to deepen its alliances across Southeast Asia, with Malaysia now cast as an important partner in that gambit move.

In a guest column published in Malaysia’s leading newspapers, Xi invoked centuries of shared history between the two nations to frame his visit as symbolic and strategic.

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by Edwin Shri Bimo

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