Xi's Asian charm offensive is all about the US

At first glance, Chinese President Xi Jinping's Southeast Asian tour focuses on trade deals, regional cooperation and friendship. In reality, he's capitalising on America's leadership vacuum in the Indo-Pacific. Beijing wants a less US-centric Asia. President Donald Trump's trade war is only accelerating that.

- KARISHMA VASWANI

Washington's influence in this strategically vital region is at stake. Previous administrations have been clear about its importance, but under Mr Trump there doesn't appear to be a coherent plan. This has allowed Beijing to position itself as a champion of solidarity, in sharp contrast to the US president's economic bullying.

This isn't just a goodwill visit. It's about soft and hard power projection. Mr Xi's trip to Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia was planned before tariffs were imposed, but these visits have taken on more importance given Mr Trump's attempt to isolate China. Some major banks predict the Chinese economy will expand by 3-4 per cent this year as US duties choke exports. Many economists doubt the Communist Party will be able to achieve the official target of around 5 per cent growth slated for 2025, despite reporting a 5.4 per cent growth in the first quarter.

These dire projections make Mr Xi's Southeast Asia tour all the more important. It's a chance to mend both political and economic ties. Mr Trump has criticised the meetings, accusing his Chinese counterpart and Vietnamese leader To Lam of conspiring against Washington. He's also called on China to reach out to him in order to kick off negotiations.