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.

China’s leader Xi Jinping started a week of diplomacy in Southeast Asia with a visit to Vietnam, signaling China’s commitment to global trade.

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.