Xi Jinping is in Southeast Asia to build bonds with countries that also face U.S. tariffs and have come under pressure from Washington to curb the transshipment of Chinese goods.

In hope of avoiding punishing U.S. tariffs, Vietnam is prepared to crack down on Chinese goods being shipped to the United States via its territory and will tighten controls on sensitive exports to China,

President Xi Jinping's visit to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia comes at a time when China and most of the Southeast Asian region are working on strategies to offset the impacts of a new round of high tariffs by the United States on their imports.