Chinese President Xi Jinping completed a landmark state visit to three key Southeast Asian nations — Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia. The trip came at a time of rising global trade tensions, with Washington’s tariff threats casting a shadow over the world economy.

What does this trip reveal about China’s evolving role in the region? And why is it drawing global attention right now?

Host Ge Anna is joined by Dr. Lee Pei May, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the International Islamic University Malaysia; Herman Laurel, Founder of the "Philippine BRICS Strategic Studies" Group, a think tank focusing on the Philippines in global affairs; Prof. Song Qingrun, from the School of Asian Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Panel: Trusted partners amid trade wars: Xi's Southeast Asia trip