Chinese President Xi Jinping’s  five-day tour of some South-east  nations hardest hit by  US  tariffs this week is likely intended to hit  out at the United States, President Donald Trump has suggested.

China’s President arrived in Hanoi on Monday, where he met Vietnam Communist party chief To Lam,  and called for stronger trade ties, besides signing dozens of cooperation agreements, including on enhancing supply chains. Xi  urged Lam that the two countries should “strengthen strategic resolve and  jointly oppose unilateralism and bullying practices”, according to Xinhua.

Washington has targeted China and Vietnam — two of its largest trading partners — with some of its highest tariff rates, with Beijing facing a levy of up to 145 per cent and Vietnam 46 per cent, though the latter has received a 90-day reprieve.  

Reacting to the meeting at  the Oval Office, Trump said the discussions in Vietnam were focused on how to harm the US, even though he didn’t hold it against them, The Guardian reported.

“I don’t blame China; I don’t blame Vietnam,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “That’s a lovely meeting. Meeting like, trying to figure out, ‘how do we screw the United States of America?’” Trump said.

According  to AFP, countries such as Cambodia, Bangladesh and Vietnam, which manufacture low-cost goods, have been slapped with some of the highest tariff rates due to their trade deficits with the US.

The Trump administration has also accused countries in south-east Asia of serving as a conduit for Chinese companies seeking to avoid American tariffs.  South-east Asian governments had already warned of slowing growth from a trade war between the US and China, as their economies are heavily dependent on trade with the two superpowers.