China's President Xi Jinping called for support for the international system centred around the United Nations, trade and the rule of law as he continued on a Southeast Asian tour amid a sharp deterioration in China-U.

Xi Jinping has appealed to Vietnam to join China in upholding multilateral trade, as he begins a high-stakes diplomatic tour of the region’s major export-reliant economies in a bid to position his country as a stable partner in contrast to the United States.

Xi arrived in Vietnam on Monday, and will visit Malaysia and Cambodia later this week. His visit comes just days after Trump put a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs.