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.

His comments, in an article for Vietnam's Nhan Dan newspaper, come he begins a series of state visits to the country, Malaysia and Cambodia from April 14 to 18.

China’s leader is on a charm offensive in the region, but some of Beijing’s neighbors are wary of being caught in the crossfire of a superpower rivalry.