China and Vietnam expressed their support for maintaining a multilateral trade regime centered around the World Trade Organization in a joint statement issued on Tuesday at the end of a two-day visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China’s leader started a week of diplomacy in Southeast Asia to signal China’s commitment to global trade after U.S. President Trump upended the global economy.

Vietnam, historically a significant beneficiary of the "China +1" strategy, finds itself between pressure from the US and political ties with China. It was the first to engage in reciprocal tariff talks with the US, but was also featured in Chinese...