Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Malaysia’s King on Wednesday in a state visit analysts said was aimed at burnishing Beijing’s credentials as a reliable partner and “not a hegemon”.
Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim (right) walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcoming ceremony at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on April 16, 2025. Photo / AFP
After talks with the king, Xi is due to meet with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who will host him for dinner at the administrative capital of Putrajaya outside Kuala Lumpur.
Both leaders will witness the signing of a range of bilateral agreements, according to the Malaysian foreign ministry.
“It’s not just about friendship, it’s about realigning the regional centre of gravity towards Beijing,” said Khoo Ying Hooi, an associate professor in the Department of International and Strategic Studies at Malaya University.
She told AFP the visit was a calculated move to “test the waters for regional solidarity at a time when US trade measures are disrupting global markets”.
Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc have been among the hardest hit by the US tariffs, which risked alienating even Washington’s friends and allies.
Malaysia is this year’s Asean chair.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (centre, left) receiving Chinese President Xi Jinping (centre, right) upon his arrival at the Bunga Raya VIP complex of Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang. Photo / AFP
Asean member Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse, was slapped with 46% tariffs and Cambodia - a major producer of low-cost clothing for big Western brands - was hit with a 49% duty.
Malaysia, Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy, was hit with a lower tariff of 24%.
The tariffs have been paused for 90 days but Trump has said no country is “off the hook”.
“Regionally, Xi is likely to frame China as a partner in stability and development, not a hegemon,” Khoo said.
“At the same time, his message carries an implicit warning, that is: don’t let Washington’s tariffs or alliances undermine Asia’s own regional cohesion,” she added.
Oh Ei Sun from the Pacific Research Centre of Malaysia think tank said Xi’s visit is like “a group of friends huddling together for warmth against harsh weather”.
Xi said upon his arrival on Tuesday that he hopes his state visit will usher in another “50 golden years” in China-Malaysia relations.
“I am confident that with our joint efforts, this will be a fruitful visit,” Xi said in a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
China and Malaysia celebrated their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations last year and enjoy robust trade ties, though Malaysia claims parts of the South China Sea, where Beijing has staked out near-blanket sovereignty.
China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, with total trade between the two countries accounting for 16.8% of Malaysia’s global trade last year, according to the Malaysian foreign ministry.
In an opinion piece published on Tuesday in the Star newspaper in Malaysia, Xi vowed that China will work with Southeast Asian countries to fight protectionism and keep global supply chains stable.
“We must uphold the multilateral trading system, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, and maintain an international environment of openness and co-operation,” Xi said.
On Thursday, Xi will travel to Cambodia, one of China’s staunchest allies in Southeast Asia and where Beijing has extended its influence in recent years.
