President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing on Friday after wrapping up a five-day tour of South East Asia which saw state visits to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia.

During his trip, China signed dozens of agreements with the three nations in a wide range of areas.

Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said Xi's visits strengthened Beijing's ties with Southeast Asian countries amid US trade war pressures.

"This visit comes just as the US is waging a tariff war and trade war. The US is trying to persuade Southeast Asian countries to distance themselves from China by threatening to impose heavy tariffs on them," Lau told RTHK.

"President Xi's visit has strengthened relations with Southeast Asian countries, providing them with China's backing and making them more powerful in their negotiations with the US."

Lau said the visit has enhanced cooperation in areas like infrastructure, telecommunications, and environmental protection, adding that Southeast Asia is China's largest trading partner.