Xi鈥檚 Vietnam trip aiming to 鈥榮crew鈥� US, says Trump

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, center-left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, center right, in Hanoi on April 14, 2025. (Reuters)
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  • Xi Jinping is in Vietnam as part of a Southeast Asia tour that will include Malaysia and Cambodia
  • Beijing trying to position itself as a stable alternative to Trump as leaders confront US tariffs

HANOI: China鈥檚 President Xi Jinping paid tribute to Vietnam鈥檚 late revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh on Tuesday, his last day of a trip to Hanoi that President Donald Trump said was aiming to 鈥渟crew鈥� the United States.
Xi is in Vietnam as part of a Southeast Asia tour that will include Malaysia and Cambodia, with Beijing trying to position itself as a stable alternative to Trump as leaders confront US tariffs.
The Chinese leader called on his country and Vietnam Monday to 鈥渙ppose unilateral bullying and uphold the stability of the global free trade system,鈥� according to Beijing鈥檚 state media.
Hours later, Trump told reporters at the White House that their meeting was aimed at hurting the United States.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 blame China. I don鈥檛 blame Vietnam. I don鈥檛. I see they鈥檙e meeting today, and that鈥檚 wonderful,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a lovely meeting... like trying to figure out, how do we screw the United States of America.鈥�
China and Vietnam signed 45 cooperation agreements on Monday, including on supply chains, artificial intelligence, joint maritime patrols and railway development.
Xi said a meeting with Vietnam鈥檚 top leader To Lam on Monday that their countries were 鈥渟tanding at the turning point of history... and should move forward with joint hands.鈥�
Lam said after the talks that the two leaders 鈥渞eached many important and comprehensive common perceptions,鈥� according to Vietnam News Agency.
On the final day of his visit, Xi laid a red wreath emblazoned with his name and the words 鈥淟ong live Vietnam鈥檚 great leader President Ho Chi Minh鈥� at the late leader鈥檚 mausoleum in central Hanoi.
He is also due to attend the launch of the Vietnam-China Railway Cooperation, which will help manage an $8-billion rail project 鈥� announced this year 鈥� to link Vietnam鈥檚 largest northern port city to the border with China.
Xi鈥檚 trip comes almost two weeks after the United States 鈥� the biggest export market for Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse, in the first three months of the year 鈥� imposed a 46 percent levy on Vietnamese goods as part of a global tariff blitz.
Although the US tariffs on Vietnam and most other countries have been paused, China still faces enormous levies and is seeking to tighten regional trade ties and offset their impact during Xi鈥檚 first overseas trip of the year.
Xi will head to Malaysia later Tuesday and then Cambodia on a tour that 鈥渂ears major importance鈥� for the broader region, Beijing has said.
Xi earlier urged Vietnam and China to 鈥渞esolutely safeguard the multilateral trading system, stable global industrial and supply chains, and open and cooperative international environment.鈥�
He also reiterated Beijing鈥檚 line that a 鈥渢rade war and tariff war will produce no winner, and protectionism will lead nowhere鈥� in an article published on Monday in Vietnam鈥檚 major state-run Nhan Dan newspaper.
China and Vietnam, both ruled by communist parties, already share a 鈥渃omprehensive strategic partnership,鈥� Hanoi鈥檚 highest diplomatic status.
Vietnam has long pursued a 鈥渂amboo diplomacy鈥� approach 鈥� striving to stay on good terms with both China and the United States.
The two countries have close economic ties, but Hanoi shares US concerns about Beijing鈥檚 increasing assertiveness in the contested South China Sea.