Jiang Tao
Amid rising global tensions and uncertainty, China is doubling down on its diplomatic drive—pushing a bold vision of a shared future for humanity. President Xi Jinping’s high-profile visits to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia—his first international outings of the year—underscore Beijing’s resolve to strengthen ties in Southeast Asia, fuel regional integration, and answer the Global South’s call for fairness, development, and respect.
This diplomatic outreach reflects China’s consistent foreign policy approach—constructing bridges of connectivity and collaboration rather than erecting walls of division. However, the United States, long seen as a global leader, remains entrenched in Cold War-era geopolitical thinking. Under the banner of “America First,” Washington continues to assert strategic dominance by pressuring smaller nations to align with its interests, rather than encouraging inclusive, multilateral engagement.
What Washington brands as “reciprocal tariffs” is, in practice, often a tool of economic coercion. Using its financial heft and market leverage, the U.S. imposes steep tariffs on other countries. Under so-called reciprocal tariff policies, average U.S. tariffs on Southeast Asian goods exceed 30 percent, with rates reaching as high as 49 percent on exports from Cambodia and 46 percent on products from Vietnam. These measures not only strain the economies of affected countries but also fragment regional supply chains.
More Resilient And Inclusive Regional Trade Architecture
China, by contrast, has sought to strengthen multilateralism through initiatives such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), helping to build a more resilient and inclusive regional trade architecture.
As the global order becomes increasingly multipolar and nations pursue more diversified interests, diplomacy grounded in coercion and imbalance is becoming obsolete. From ASEAN to Africa, Latin America to the Middle East, the Global South is awakening—and increasingly speaking with a united voice. Even traditional U.S. allies in Europe are beginning to push back against unilateralism and tariff-driven diplomacy.
Ironically, the United States’ coercive trade policies are also causing significant harm domestically. Tariffs intended to shield American industries have driven up production costs, inflated consumer prices, and eroded the profitability of small and medium-sized enterprises, leading to waves of business closures.
Raised The Probability Of a Recession Within The Next 12 Months
Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers warned that the impact of Trump administration’s tariff strategy could surpass that of the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which exacerbated the Great Depression. He estimated that the resulting economic downturn could lead to the loss of approximately 2 million American jobs and cut household incomes by no less than 5,000 US dollars per year. On April 6, Goldman Sachs revised its 2025 Q4 GDP growth forecast for the U.S. from 1.0 percent to just 0.5 percent and raised the probability of a recession within the next 12 months from 35 percent to 45 percent.
The root of this “pick a side” diplomacy runs deep in American history. As early as 1823, the Monroe Doctrine sought to assert U.S. control over Latin America under the pretense of protecting the hemisphere from European intervention. Over the next century, the United States pursued westward expansion at the expense of Native American communities, annexed nearly half of Mexico following the Mexican-American War, claimed territories such as Cuba and Puerto Rico from Spain, and facilitated Panama’s secession from Colombia to secure control of the canal zone.
According to research from Tufts University, the U.S. has carried out nearly 400 military interventions across the globe since 1776—with more than one-third occurring in Latin America and the Caribbean. The long-lasting effects of these actions are deeply ingrained in the region’s collective memory, perhaps best captured by 19th-century Mexican leader Porfirio Díaz’s remark: “So far from God, so close to the United States.”
These interventionist tendencies still persist today. President Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting that Canada become America’s 51st state, or that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the “American Gulf,” may seem outlandish on the surface. Yet they reflect a deeply embedded mindset—an instinct for geopolitical dominance coupled with diminishing regard for sovereign equality and mutual respect.
In contrast, China advocates a foreign policy rooted in mutual respect, partnership, and inclusive development. It does not export ideology or interfere in the domestic affairs of other nations. Instead, it seeks dialogue, cooperation, and equality.
Enhanced Regional Connectivity & Improved Infrastructure
Through initiatives such as the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and RCEP, China offers a collaborative model of international engagement. Demonstration projects like the China-Laos Railway, Cambodia’s Phnom Penh–Sihanoukville Expressway, and Indonesia’s Jakarta–Bandung High-Speed Railway have enhanced regional connectivity, improved infrastructure in host countries, and injected new momentum into local economic development.
These efforts are yielding tangible results. ASEAN remains a key priority in China’s neighborhood diplomacy and a central partner in building a high-quality Belt and Road. As 2025 marks the 15th anniversary of the China–ASEAN Free Trade Area, bilateral trade continues to thrive. According to data from China’s General Administration of Customs, trade between China and ASEAN reached 6.99 trillion yuan (approximately 958 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024, reflecting a 9.0 percent year-on-year increase and accounting for 15.9 percent of China’s total foreign trade. The two sides have remained each other’s largest trading partners for five consecutive years.
China is not asking countries to pick sides. Instead, it offers a more lasting choice: a path to sovereign development, enduring peace, and shared prosperity. This is not mere rhetoric—it is a strategic commitment to building a more equitable, stable, and interconnected global order based on mutual benefit and long-term vision.
Jiang Tao is a reporter at CGTN Radio. This article was first published on Cambodianess.
