China Courts Southeast Asia Amid US Trade Tensions, but Analysts See Limited Impact

With substantial economic assistance and market access, ’mere state visits won’t change the course of the region,' an analyst said.

Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary To Lam (C) attends a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi, Vietnam, on April 14, 2025. Nhac Nguyen/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping has embarked on his first overseas trip of 2025, courting three Southeast Asian nations amid heightened trade tensions with the United States.

However, analysts said breakthroughs are unlikely.