Standing outside his friend’s cupcake shop, he says Donald Trump’s levies are a sign that America feels threatened by China’s rise. America’s power is declining, he says. “To be honest, what you feel in today’s world is that hegemony is very hard to achieve.

On Monday, after Xi's visit, Beijing warned countries against signing trade deals with the U.S. "at the expense of China’s interest."

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is making the case for free trade as he tours Southeast Asia this week, presenting China as a source of “stability and certainty.”