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 President Xi Jinping called on Monday for stronger ties with Vietnam on trade and supply chains amid disruptions caused by U.S. tariffs, as he attended the signing in Hanoi of dozens of cooperation agreements between the two communist-run nations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Vietnam to jointly oppose “unilateral bullying” in his first overseas trip this year in a veiled jab at the US. Hanoi’s initial silence on the request shows its attempt to walk a tightrope between the two powers.