Xi Jinping has urged Vietnam to resist “unilateral bullying” and uphold free and open 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.

China’s leader Xi Jinping has released a letter denouncing tariff and trade wars and urging the multilateral trading system, stable global industrial and supply chains, and open and

His comments, in an article for Vietnam's Nhan Dan newspaper, come he begins a series of state visits to the country, Malaysia and Cambodia from April 14 to 18.