Xi seeks 'Asian family' unity as Trump turns up tariff heat on China

Chinese President Xi Jinping promoted the idea of an "Asian family" and called for regional unity during a tour of Southeast Asia, in an apparent effort to counter US pressure on nations to limit trade ties with Beijing.

- Bloomberg 17 April

Xi landed in Phnom Penh on Thursday, kicking off the final leg of his three-nation tour as the Trump administration prepares to seek trade partners' cooperation in encircling Beijing. The Chinese leader emphasized solidarity in a speech at a state dinner in Malaysia a day earlier, when the two nations signed wide-ranging deals in a sign of deepening economic ties.

"China and Malaysia will stand with countries in the region to combat the undercurrents of geopolitical and bloc-based confrontation," Xi said in the Malaysian administrative capital of Putrajaya. "Together we will safeguard the bright prospects of our Asian family."