Xi Jinping has appealed to Vietnam to join China in upholding multilateral 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.

Beijing is using a mix of carrots and sticks to try to prevent other countries from siding with the United States in isolating China.

President Donald Trump called on China to reach out to him in order to kick off negotiations aimed at resolving the escalating trade fight between the world’s two largest economies.

Trump tariffs in 2016 sent a glut of cheap Chinese imports, originally intended for the US, into South East Asia, hurting many local manufacturers. But they also opened new doors for other businesses, often into global supply chains that wanted to cut their dependence on China.

Trump added he would delay a deal on TikTok until the trade issue with China is worked out. He told reporters U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods might not go higher and may even go lower.

The White House said Tuesday that "the ball is in China's court," as far as a trade deal with the U.S. is concerned. Meanwhile, China is t