Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday for the first time in six years for a two-day state visit aimed at countering growing U.S. influence in the Southeast Asian country.
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Xi met with Vietnam's ruling Communist Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong on the first day of his visit.
China and Vietnam said in a joint statement that they would “further deepen and expand their bilateral relations.” They agreed to build “a community with a shared future” and added that this visit was “a historic step in bilateral relations (…) leading to peace, stability and development in this region and in the world contribute.”
More than 30 agreements have been signed, including a commitment to expand rail links between Vietnam and China.
An opportunity for China to respond after the American president's visit to Vietnam in September, which strengthened diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Biden's visit was part of the United States' global campaign to contain China's growing economic power and ensure supplies of critical materials needed for its high-tech industries.
Upon his arrival at Hanoi airport, Xi said he would hold talks with Vietnamese leaders on “general and strategic issues and the direction of bilateral relations, as well as international and regional issues of common interest, to take our relationship to the next level,” according to Chinese State media.
Bamboo diplomacy
Vietnam has long favored “bamboo diplomacy,” a flexible policy aimed at maintaining good relations with both powers.
It shares U.S. concerns about Beijing's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, but also has close economic ties with China, with which it shares a border and which is also ruled by a Communist Party.
Hanoi and Beijing already share a comprehensive strategic partnership, Vietnam's highest diplomatic status. Vietnam and the United States reached the same level in September.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the visit would focus on “strengthening Sino-Vietnamese relations.”
Mr. Xi could thus push for Vietnam to join its “community of common destiny,” a vaguely defined term that refers to a vision of future economic, security and political cooperation.
In an article published in the Vietnamese newspaper Nhan Dan on Tuesday, Xi Jinping said: “Asia's future is in the hands of no one but Asians.”
The Chinese leader's itinerary included “politics, security, practical cooperation, public opinion formation, multilateral issues and maritime issues,” he said.
On Tuesday morning, Chinese and Vietnamese flags lined the route that Xi will take from the airport to the presidential palace, where he will be greeted with a 21-gun salute.
A few dozen people waved flags and gathered outside the JW Marriott Hotel, where Xi is expected to stay.
Tensions in the China Sea
On Wednesday, the Chinese leader will meet Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Vo Van Thuong and visit the mausoleum of revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh.
This visit comes amid high tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, following clashes between the two countries' ships on the reefs in recent days.
Manila said it summoned the Chinese ambassador on Monday and was considering the possibility of his expulsion.
Vietnam, like Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, has claims in the South China Sea that rival those of Beijing.
Over the past decade, China has stepped up land reclamation in the South China Sea, creating militarized islands with airstrips, ports and radar systems.
During Biden's visit, Vietnam and the US warned in a joint statement of “threats or use of force” in the South China Sea.
Hanoi said it was upset by the release in September of a new official Chinese map showing China's sovereignty over almost the entire shipping zone, which is a key artery of global trade.
Like Joe Biden in September, Xi Jinping may seek closer cooperation on rare earth minerals used in high-tech industries, analysts said.
The US chip giant Nvidia wants to build a base in Vietnam to further develop its semiconductor industry, its CEO said on Sunday evening from the Vietnamese government.
Vietnamese state-controlled media reported last month that Chinese company China Rare Earth Group was seeking cooperation with Vietnamese mining giant Vinacomin.