Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Southeast Asian nations to uphold openness and cooperation Thursday, delivering a message of inclusivity as President Donald Trump threatens sweeping tariffs on nations across the region.

US President Trump’s tariffs loom over gathering in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur which will also feature US-Russia talks.

China has been a fierce critic of sweeping U.S. tariffs that Trump announced on April 2. He later delayed the implementation of most but China, which has said it will respond with its own tariffs on U.S. imports, now faces a deadline next month to negotiate a deal.

Since 2016, the share of U.S. imports from China has fallen by nearly half, while imports from the Association of Southeast Asian

China urged Cambodia and Thailand to resolve their border dispute through friendly dialogue, offering to play a constructive role by upholding an "objective and fair" position, its foreign ministry said.

As China and the U.S. compete in artificial intelligence, Southeast Asia should draw from the best of both, panelists said at CNBC’s East Tech West conference.

The U.S. Secretary of State wants to bolster defense ties in the Indo-Pacific, while distrust of Trump’s commitments to the region, particularly on economic issues, runs deep.

China will sign up to a Southeast Asian treaty banning nuclear weapons in the region as soon as all documentation is ready, Malaysia's foreign minister said on Thursday.