China’s President, Xi Jinping, held discussions with Vietnam’s President, To Lam, in Beijing during his first official state visit as the leader of the country. The meeting took place on Monday and underscores the close ties between the two communist neighbors, who share developed economic and trade relations, despite occasional tensions over their competing claims in the South China Sea.
This visit comes just a month after Lam took office in Hanoi following the death of the long-standing communist leader, Nguyen Phu Trong. China expressed great satisfaction that Lam chose China as his first official destination, which they say “fully reflects the importance he attaches to the development of relations between both parties and countries.”
China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, welcomed Lam and his wife, Ngo Phuong Ly, upon their arrival at the airport in Beijing. Photos later published by Chinese and Vietnamese media showed the warm reception between the couple and Xi, along with his wife, Peng Liyuan.
Lam arrived in China’s southern province of Guangzhou on Sunday for a three-day visit that also includes meetings with Premier Li Qiang and other high-ranking Chinese officials. During his stay in Guangzhou, he visited several locations where former Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh conducted his revolutionary activities.
In December, during Xi’s previous visit to Vietnam, over a dozen agreements were reached between the two countries. Although the details of these agreements were not disclosed, they focused on strengthening railway cooperation and development, investments in various sectors, and establishing communication channels to manage unexpected events in the South China Sea.
In a comprehensive joint statement, both countries indicated they would work on cross-border railway connections, including three project proposals mentioning a link from the mountainous Lao Cai in northwest Vietnam to the port city of Haiphong. The statement also covered cooperation on other projects under China’s flagship infrastructure program, the Belt and Road Initiative, emphasizing investment collaboration in agriculture, infrastructure, energy, digital economy, and green development.
China and Vietnam established diplomatic relations in 1950 and created an extensive strategic partnership for cooperation in 2008. This agreement was expanded five years later to also address several international and regional issues of mutual concern. Despite their proximity, Vietnam and China have experienced political clashes regarding disputed islands and territories in the South China Sea. In 2014, their disagreements led to violence, resulting in the deaths of over 20 individuals in clashes between Vietnamese and Chinese workers in China. Recently, Vietnam has also sought to improve its relations with the United States.