China, Malaysia can turn crisis into opportunity

On April 2, the whole world was shocked by the US administration's move to impose tariffs on goods imported from almost all US trading partners, including China and Malaysia. Malaysian goods have been hit with 24 percent tariffs, whereas the tariffs on Chinese goods are as high as 145 percent.

China and Malaysia are close trading partners, with the bilateral trade reaching $212.04 billion in 2024. The two countries are trying to weather the storm of the latest international trade headwinds. Hence, the state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Malaysia (chair of ASEAN in 2025), from Tuesday to Thursday, comes at an opportune time.

However, over the weekend, US President Donald Trump changed his stance and adopted a vague policy regarding whether Chinese-made smartphones and other electronics would be exempt from tariffs.