China and Vietnam expressed their support for maintaining a multilateral trade regime centered around the World Trade Organization in a joint statement issued on Tuesday at the end of a two-day visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China’s leader Xi Jinping started a week of diplomacy in Southeast Asia with a visit to Vietnam, signaling China’s commitment to global trade.

Vietnam, historically a significant beneficiary of the "China +1" strategy, finds itself between pressure from the US and political ties with China. It was the first to engage in reciprocal tariff talks with the US, but was also featured in Chinese...