Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped his first visit to Vietnam in six years by calling on the South-East Asian country to stop external forces from causing problems in the Asia-Pacific.
“Both sides should be alert to and oppose any attempts to mess up Asia-Pacific,” Xi said, in comments likely to be seen as a veiled reference to the US.
China’s most-powerful leader since Mao Zedong also called for the two Communist neighbours to strengthen their coordination in international affairs.
Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong declared relations had never been more “comprehensive, profound and friendly,” at the close of Xi’s two-day state visit.
Both sides described the visit as a milestone in bilateral relations.
Xi’s trip came just three months after US President Joe Biden declared “enormous” opportunity with Vietnam, on his first jaunt to the Asian nation.
That trip yielded agreements on everything from semiconductors to security, as part of the US’s Indo-Pacific strategy aimed at checking China’s influence in the region.
“To the extent Xi wanted to signal an upgrade of relations in form if not substance, he should be pleased with what he got,” said Joseph Liow Chin Yong, a chair of comparative and international politics at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
“But we should also keep in mind that Vietnam is itself deftly managing its relations with the two great powers as it advances its own interests.
“Hanoi was never going to clearly swing one way or the other and both Washington and Beijing should be well aware of that.”
China dangled its own economic carrots. Beijing agreed to fund a cross-border railway, while both sides agreed on a three-year plan to boost trade.
The two nations, which have overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea, pledged to “control” disagreements and avoid “actions that can complicate the situation and expand disputes,” according to a joint statement.
They will set up a hot-line to handle “unexpected incidents” that arise from fishing activities and have “frank” discussions on maritime issues to better resolve disagreements.
The show of unity is the latest example of how Hanoi is carefully balancing ties with the world’s largest economies.
Vietnam is one of the biggest winners in Beijing’s trade tensions with Washington, as businesses move billions of dollars of investment away from China to the manufacturing powerhouse to secure supply chains.
If any tensions linger from China’s tense military history with Vietnam – they fought a brief border war in 1979 – they weren’t on display as Xi arrived in Hanoi.
The Chinese leader received a 21-cannon salute and was greeted at Noi Bai International Airport by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and top-ranking Communist Party officials. That contrasted with Biden’s reception by Deputy Foreign Minister.
Chinese state media provided breathless coverage of Xi’s trip to Vietnam for domestic audiences.
People were shown holding banners at the airport as Xi arrived, which read “Vietnam and China have a deep relationship that’s like comrades and brothers,” and “China-Vietnam friendship will last forever.”
Xi’s decision to visit Vietnam – his sole trip to an Asian nation this year – came as China’s neighbour was seen inching closer to the US and its allies. — Bloomberg
