Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his ongoing Southeast Asia tour covering Vietnam and Malaysia, pledged to facilitate greater access for Malaysian and Vietnamese goods into Chinese markets, as part of Beijing’s effort to boost regional partnerships amid rising global economic uncertainty.

On Wednesday, Xi met with the King of Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, expressing China’s welcome of high-quality Malaysian agricultural products. He also encouraged increased Chinese investment in Malaysia, particularly in green technology and artificial intelligence. Discussions included key Belt and Road Initiative projects, including a $11.2 billion railway development.

Xi began his tour with a visit to Vietnam, where he met Communist Party General Secretary To Lam and other senior officials. China and Vietnam signed over 40 memoranda of understanding focused on supply chain cooperation, artificial intelligence, and infrastructure development, including a joint railway project.

The tour underscores China’s push to position itself as a stable and reliable economic partner in the region, especially as trade tensions with the United States intensify following President Donald Trump’s recent announcements of new tariff policies.