BEIJING - President Xi Jinping is scheduled to commence his official visits to three Southeast Asian nations on Monday, days after reaffirming the significance of enhancing China's strategic relationships with its neighboring countries.

President Xi’s five-day tour to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia will continue until Friday. 

Vietnam visit
He will embark on his fourth state visit to Vietnam as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and as the president of China, from Monday to Tuesday. This visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries that have developed a lasting relationship.

According to data of the Chinese Commerce Ministry cited by CGTN, the economic and trade cooperation between Beijing and Hanoi has shown consistent growth in recent years. Since 2004, China has held the position of Vietnam's largest trading partner, and since 2016, Vietnam has been recognized as China's largest trading partner in the ASEAN region. The bilateral trade volume has surpassed $200 billion for four consecutive years, achieving a total of $260.65 billion in 2024, which represents a year-on-year increase of 13.5 percent.

Marking a milestone 

After touring Vietnam, President Xi will visit Malaysia. The partnership between China and Malaysia has been growing significantly. For 16 consecutive years, China has been Malaysia's foremost trading partner, with trade volume reaching a record high of $212.04 billion in 2024.

Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Friday that Xi’s visit to Malaysia will mark an important milestone in promoting the upgrading of the relations between the two countries.  

China-Cambodia cooperation 

The Chinese president will conclude his regional trip by visiting Cambodia. China has consistently been Cambodia's foremost foreign investor and trading partner for multiple years. The China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement, effective from January 1, 2022, represents Cambodia's inaugural bilateral free trade agreement. In 2024, the trade volume between Cambodia and China had risen to $15.1 billion, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 23.8 percent. Xi’s visit to Cambodia will pave the way for elevating bilateral relations. 

Fostering friendship 

Speaking at a central conference on work related to neighboring countries, which was held in Beijing, from April 8 to 9, President Xi stressed the need for creating a community with a shared future with China’s neighboring countries and striving to open new ground for its neighborhood work. Xi also pledged to strengthen strategic bonds with neighboring nations by “appropriately” managing differences and enhanced supply chain ties.

Presently, Xi's upcoming five-day visit has highlighted China's initiatives to foster friendship and strengthen ties with neighboring countries. This commitment was underscored by the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry during his address to the press on Friday. Lin said neighboring countries are China's priority in its diplomacy, and China and Southeast Asian countries are good neighbors, good friends and good partners with a shared future.