Xi concludes Southeast Asia tour amid trade tensions

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday completed a two-day state visit to Cambodia, capping a three-nation Southeast Asia tour promoting Beijing's reliability as the region faces economic uncertainty due to US President Donald Trump's tariff proposals.

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China has been strongly increasing its influence in the region over the past decade, largely by exercising its substantial economic leverage.

Beijing is now presenting itself as a source of stability and certainty as Trump's tariffs threaten the region's export-oriented economies whose largest market is generally the United States.

Cambodia faces among the highest reciprocal tariff rates proposed by Washington. In addition to Trump's universal 10% tariff, it faces the threat of a 49% tariff on exports to the US once his 90day pause expires. For Vietnam, the tariff would be 46%, and for Malaysia, 24%.