China has been urging the world to 'unite' every day. While the surface reason is that we must band together to win in the trade war with the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitions do not stop there. It indicates that the world is uniting around China, aiming for hegemony. China, already allied with Southeast Asia, is also strengthening ties with Europe.
According to Xinhua News Agency on the 17th, Xi Jinping said during a meeting the previous day with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, "We must counter 'decoupling' in supply chains and 'small yard, high wall' (U.S. technology controls of China), as well as excessive tariff collections, through openness, inclusiveness, unity, and cooperation," and urged, "We must respond to the jungle law of survival of the fittest with Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness, and inclusiveness, and tackle the world's instability and uncertainty with the stability and certainty of Asia."
Since the 14th, Xi Jinping has been on his first overseas trip of the year through Southeast Asia and has emphasized 'unity' every day. In Vietnam, his first stop, he stressed that "small boats struggle to withstand large waves, but a boat that sails together can go far" in calling for a united front against the U.S. trade policy. In Cambodia, which he will visit next after Malaysia, he stated through the media, "We need to join our hearts to overcome difficulties and maintain harmony and coexistence."
Internally in China, this message is continuously echoed. The day before, the state-run Xinhua News Agency's affiliated social media (SNS) account Nyutanchin posted a message stating, "The whole world must unite" against the United States. Nyutanchin noted, "Many countries have fallen into the 'prisoner's dilemma' and while they harbor dissatisfaction with U.S. threats, they believe that the U.S. will show mercy if they appear weak." It added that Canada's most loyal ally to the U.S. has been "stabbed in the back by the U.S. twice" and warned, "Without unity, the U.S. will easily defeat us one by one."
The analysis suggests that China's attempt to unify neighboring countries goes beyond winning a trade war, seeking Asian hegemony. Bloomberg columnist Karishma Vaswani stated, "China wants a different Asia, not one centered on the United States," adding that while previous administrations made clear the importance of this region, the Trump administration seemed to lack a consistent strategy. This allowed China to position itself as a guardian of solidarity in stark contrast to Trump's economic pressures.
China's strengthening of economic ties with Southeast Asia also adds weight to this analysis. Since 2009, China has been the largest trading partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and starting in 2020, ASEAN has risen to become China's largest trading partner. NBC News reported that Steve Chang, director of the China Research Center at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, said, "Xi Jinping is pleased that Trump intentionally disrupts, damages, and engenders distrust in the international order." He added, "Convincing Southeast Asian countries that heavily rely on Beijing would be the easiest thing to do."
Analysis suggests that Europe's next goal for China is also evident. The two sides, which had once been in conflict over China's overproduction, are already showing signs of improving relations. The European Union (EU) has raised negotiations to abolish the high tariffs imposed on Chinese electric vehicles. Recently, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met Xi Jinping in China to reach a consensus on strengthening cooperation. Vaswani noted, "The U.S. must recognize that competition with China includes not only economic might but also strategic influence," adding, "Xi Jinping is employing a long-term strategy, and for now, it seems he is winning."