China has vowed to "seek common ground and shelve differences" with Asian neighbours after the United States imposed a 145% tariff on all Chinese goods on April 9. Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay state visits to three Southeast Asian countries – Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia – from April 14 to 18, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

This display of interest is not surprising in the context of the sharply escalated trade war with the United States. Many Chinese exporters are describing on social media huge losses that they say they have suffered due to US tariffs.