China's top leader Xi Jinping arrives in Hanoi for state visit

Xi Jinping, China's Party General Secretary and President, arrived in Hanoi at noon on Monday, beginning his two-day state visit to Vietnam.

This is the fourth state visit to Vietnam by Xi Jinping in his capacity as Party General Secretary and President of China, and his second visit to Vietnam within the same term.

The state visit is made at the invitation of Vietnam's Party General Secretary To Lam and State President Luong Cuong.

Welcoming the Chinese leader at the Noi Bai International Airport were State President Luong Cuong; Tran Cam Tu, a Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s (PCC) Secretariat; Le Hoai Turng, a PCC member and Secretary of the PCC Office; Tran Sy Thanh, a PCC member and Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee; Nguyen Minh Vu, an alternate PCC member and standing Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Pham Thanh Binh, Ambassador of Vietnam to China.

Xi is accompanied by Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of China's Politburo and member of the committee’s Secretariat and Chief of the committee’s Office; Wang Yi, a Politburo member, Director of Party Central Committee’s Commission for Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Wang Xiaohong, Minister of Public Security; Liu Jianchao, head of Party Central Committee’s International Liaison Commission; Dong Jun, Minister of National Defence; and other officials.

The welcome ceremony for the Chinese top leader and high-level delegation at Noi Bai International Airport featured a vibrant performance by 200 artists from a traditional art ensemble, along with welcome dances by 54 young people dressed in traditional costumes representing Vietnam's ethnic groups.

A large number of Vietnamese citizens, Chinese nationals in Vietnam, and staff of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam were also present at the airport for the welcome ceremony, waving flags of both countries and banners celebrating the traditional friendship between the two nations.

The visit takes place in a special context as this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (January 18, 1950-2025).

It is expected to further promote and deepen the Vietnam-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the Vietnam-China Community with a Shared Future that carries strategic significance, elevating bilateral relations to a new height.

Since the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership in 2008, especially following recent historic mutual visits by top leaders of the two Parties and countries, bilateral relations have witnessed strong, comprehensive, and exceptional development in various aspects.

The two Parties and nations have consistently strived to cultivate bilateral ties, deepen and elevate the partnership. Both sides have outlined the direction of “six major orientations” which include higher political trust; more substantive defense-security cooperation; deeper practical cooperation; stronger social foundation; closer multilateral coordination; and better management and resolution of differences.

Taking place less than a year after Party General Secretary To Lam’s state visit to China in August 2024, this visit by China’s top leader is a major political and diplomatic event for both Parties and nations.

In addition to the strategic significance and long-term impact on Vietnam-China relations as both countries enter a new era of development, the visit carries symbolic and practical importance, sustaining the momentum of positive development across all levels, sectors, and communities, and fostering a vibrant, effective, and meaningful cooperative atmosphere.

During the visit, Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping is scheduled to hold important talks and meetings with Party General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.

Vietnam-China trade and investment cooperation has been deepening. China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner for 20 consecutive years, while Vietnam is now China's largest trading partner in ASEAN and its fourth-largest trading partner globally.

Bilateral trade turnover has increased ninefold, from $20 billion in 2008 to nearly $180 billion in 2022. Over the past 15 years, Chinese investment in Vietnam has grown more than 10-fold, from a cumulative total of $2 billion in 2008 to $25 billion today.

In 2023 alone, China was the fourth-largest investor in Vietnam. In the first quarter of this year, the powerhouse ranked third in terms of registered investment capital, following Singapore and South Korea.

People-to-people exchanges and cooperation between localities have been vibrant, with nearly 60 provinces and cities in Vetnam establishing friendly cooperative relations with localities in China.