6 Key Reasons Xi's Trip To Southeast Asia Should Jolt America

This is not an ordinary trip to shore up relations

The world is buzzing as the US-China economic war begins, and in parallel, as the US pauses tariffs on most nations hit by his Liberation Day push.

Of course, this pause has not created any clarity or stability, as Trump himself warns that there will be no tariff exemptions and that new levies will be announced over the coming days and weeks, specifically targeting US technology imports. And, certain tariffs still apply to Canada and Mexico, meaning the North American trade war remains alive.

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As all of this takes place, however, the Chinese, already locking horns with America, have begun to move other chess pieces.

One of them, which began even before Trump returned to the White House, is to romance countries that are unhappy with the US, or whose economy and society are threatened by Trump’s moves. Before Inauguration Day in January, China had already begun to restabilize its relationship with the likes of India and Japan, states that China believed might fall into Trump’s crosshairs.

Now, as China’s President Xi Jinping visits Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, America should be watching closely. This is not a “normal trip” for China to shore up relations in Southeast Asia. This is a calculated move, by Beijing, to expand China’s power and footprint in the world, starting with its backyard.

This is another dimension of the US-China economic war that everybody should watch. Even if the US and China manage to stop the chaos (for a while), China will continue to identify partners, especially in the US orbit, who are convinced that America’s actions are not in their best interest.

As Xi visits Southeast Asia, there are 6 key reasons America should be losing sleep.

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