China's Xi Jinping boosts ties with Vietnam, as Hanoi leans towards the US
In a recent meeting in Hanoi, China's President Xi Jinping and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, emphasized the need for a strategic relationship and agreed on several matters, such as cooperation in maritime shipping, trade, and crime prevention. Chinese state media praised its communist neighbor. "New Development of Relations" was the term used to describe the changes.
The two leaders also pledged to build a "Community of a Shared Future" between the two nations - a key phrase coined by Xi Jinping, according to official media reports of their meeting in Hanoi on Tuesday.
Nguyen Phu Trong described Xi Jinping's two-day visit to Hanoi's capital as a "new historic milestone" that would take the relationship between the two parties and the two nations to a new high, as reported by Vietnam News Agency.
As reported, the two sides had agreed to continually strengthen political mutual trust and build relationships on the basis of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation, and to respect each other's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
China's report on the meeting, released on Tuesday, highlighted the strengthening of trust, but it did not mention the relevant sovereignty and territorial integrity aspect.
Upon arrival in Vietnam on Tuesday afternoon, Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan were greeted with 21 gun salutes. The streets were lined with children waving flags and marching bands accompanied them. This was Xi Jinping's fourth visit to Vietnam since taking office, and in early 2023 he assumed the presidency for the third time.
The visit comes after US President Joe Biden's trip to Vietnam in September, which saw tensions between Washington and Hanoi escalating due to growing trade between the two nations and shared concern over China's increasing military presence in the South China Sea. Relations between the two countries.
Tensions between Vietnam and China have increased in recent years due to a more confident and powerful Beijing building artificial islands and strengthening its maritime presence to assert its "sovereignty" in the South China Sea, a concern raised by Vietnam and other regional governments. Claims.
Among the agreements signed on Tuesday, according to Vietnam News Agency, were plans for joint military patrols in the Gulf of Tonkin in the South China Sea and the establishment of a communication hotline for dealing with "unexpected incidents related to fishing activities."
This could suggest an interest in resolving these disputes peacefully, but it remains unclear which government agencies will be involved in the hotline. The hotline was established as a response to incidents related to fishing activities.
China and Vietnam have carried out patrols in the disputed Gulf of Tonkin before, most recently in early October, as reported by Vietnam National Radio.
During his meeting with Xi Jinping, Nguyen Phu Trong urged the two countries to respect each other's legitimate and justified interests and not to complicate the situation. The Vietnam News Agency stated that "disputes should be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law."
Xi Jinping said during his speech that China and Vietnam should transform the challenges posed by maritime issues into opportunities for bilateral cooperation.
The meetings are taking place against a backdrop of increased tensions in the South China Sea.
Beijing claims "uncontested sovereignty" over almost the entire vast waterway, which covers many areas hundreds of miles from the Chinese mainland and is claimed by several other nations, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and Taiwan.
Chinese and Philippine ships have been involved in several non-violent confrontations in recent months, with Manila attempting to protect its claims, and China ignoring a 2016 International Court of Justice ruling that denied China control over a significant portion of the South China Sea. Historical Claims.
Despite China and the Philippines establishing a new hotline between their foreign ministries' maritime affairs earlier this year to avoid misunderstandings in contested waters, there have been recent clashes between Chinese and Vietnamese ships, further straining the already tense relations between the two neighbors.
Xi Jinping's visit to Vietnam takes place at a time when Chinese state and government leaders are trying to stabilize diplomatic relations with some key partners while facing domestic economic challenges and continuing to be in a harmful rivalry with Washington.
Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China would continue to support Vietnam in resisting foreign interference and advancing the cause of national reunification. The comment was a clear reference to China's tensions with the United States and its goal of controlling Taiwan, which the Chinese Communist Party claims as its territory, despite never having governed it.
The 36 agreements signed by China and Vietnam include enhanced cooperation in areas such as propaganda, crime prevention, trade, transportation, and digital economy, according to the list provided by the Vietnamese news agency Telecom.
Both sides called for the promotion of cooperation between Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Belt" development framework and Xi Jinping's flagship infrastructure development project, "One Belt, One Road." Hanoi supports the project, although it is hesitant to accept large amounts of Chinese funding.
The Tuesday agreement also hinted at the possibility of China providing support for the development of cross-border railway lines, but only limited details were released.
Xi Jinping and his Vietnamese counterparts also signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation in the digital economy and data sharing, potentially advancing Xi Jinping's digital Silk Road, the technology networking project "One Belt, One Road."
The visit continued on Wednesday, with Xi Jinping meeting Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly, Wang Dinh Hue.
Shawn Deng and Akanksha Sharma from CNN contributed to this report.
Further Reading:
China and Vietnam should continue to build their bilateral relationship on the basis of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation to strengthen political mutual trust. Xi Jinping's visit to Vietnam follows US President Joe Biden's trip to Vietnam, further escalating tensions between the two nations over claims in the South China Sea.
Source:
Enrichment Data:
- China and Vietnam are actively working to strengthen their bilateral relationship in various areas, including trade, investment, maritime cooperation, and dispute management, with the ultimate goal of maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for mutual development.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping reinforced the importance of the relationship between the two countries, emphasizing how both nations can benefit from high-quality cooperation and effective management of maritime disputes.
- During his visit to Vietnam, Xi Jinping met with Vietnamese President To Lam and reiterated China's support for Vietnam's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national reunification goals.
- The two nations are promoting high-quality cooperation, and China is ready to participate in the development of cross-border railways, which could further strengthen the ties between the two nations.
- China and Vietnam are also engaging in digital cooperation, with the aim of enhancing their respective digital economies and advancing China's digital Silk Road initiative, known as "One Belt, One Road."
