Trump tariffs in 2016 sent a glut of cheap Chinese imports, originally intended for the US, into South East Asia, hurting many local manufacturers. But they also opened new doors for other businesses, often into global supply chains that wanted to cut their dependence on China.

The U.S. and China are engaged in an intensifying trade war, with Trump now aiming to blunt one of Beijing's crucial weapons.

Xi Jinping is in Southeast Asia to build bonds with countries that also face U.S. tariffs and have come under pressure from Washington to curb the transshipment of Chinese goods.

While Trump paused his tariffs on most of the world for 90 days, his tit-for-tat trade war with China has resulted in a steep 145% tariff on Chinese goods, and that’s hitting mostly family-owned small businesses in Chinatown hard.

China on Wednesday named Li Chenggang as vice minister of commerce and the new international trade negotiation envoy amid an ongoing trade war with the United States.