Chinese President Xi Jinping warned on Monday (Apr 14) that protectionism “leads nowhere”, as he kicks off a tour of Southeast Asia with a visit to Vietnam. He insisted that Beijing and Hanoi should safeguard the multilateral trading system. Enze Han, associate professor of politics and public administration at the University of Hong Kong, tells CNA’s Asia Now that China is likely willing to make concessions on critical issues like the South China Sea to secure cooperation from Vietnam.