China, under Xi Jinping's leadership, is intensifying diplomatic efforts to garner international support against the Trump administration's trade policies. This includes video calls with the EU, contacts with officials in Japan and South Korea, and state visits to Vietnam and Malaysia.
At stake is the global trading system that fueled China's economic growth, and access to markets threatened by US tariffs. China has responded with its own tariffs and restrictions on exports of strategic minerals.
China's actions also represent a challenge to Washington's efforts to contain China's global influence. Xi Jinping seeks to prevent other countries from imposing their own tariffs on Chinese goods or complying with US demands to decouple from Chinese manufacturing.