Chinese President Xi Jinping began a diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia on Monday, according to the South China Morning Post. He urged regional unity and free trade amid tensions with the United States.

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.

President Xi Jinping will meet Vietnam's leaders in Hanoi on Monday as he begins a three-nation trip to Southeast Asia, aiming to cement ties with some of China's closest neighbours amid mounting trade tensions with the United States.