Xi Jinping Visits Malaysia to Strengthen Ties and Present China as Stable Partner
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim on Wednesday as part of a state visit widely seen as an effort to portray Beijing as a trustworthy regional partner and counter growing concerns over U.S. trade policies.
The visit marks a key stop in Xi’s tour of Southeast Asia, which began in Vietnam and will continue in Cambodia. The trip comes amid rising global trade tensions driven by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff measures, which have disrupted markets and strained Washington’s relations—even with long-time allies.
Xi was welcomed with full ceremonial honors at Malaysia’s golden-domed national palace, where he inspected an honor guard while a royal band played. Following an audience and official lunch with the king, Xi met with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya, the country’s administrative capital.
During their meeting, the two leaders discussed deepening bilateral cooperation across a range of sectors, including artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, media, film, and tourism. A series of agreements were signed to formalize this collaboration. Xi is also set to attend a dinner hosted by Anwar later in the evening.
Analysts say the visit is a strategic move by China to bolster regional ties and reinforce its image as a collaborative and non-hegemonic power. “This is a calculated effort to test the waters for regional solidarity at a time when U.S. trade actions are unsettling global markets,” one regional expert told AFP.
Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been particularly affected by Washington’s tariffs, leaving several of them increasingly open to China’s diplomatic and economic overtures.
