Xi meets with Pham on second day of visit to shore up ties

President Xi Jinping meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Zheng at the Hanoi Government Residence, yesterday

Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Vietnam’s prime minister and the head of the country’s National Assembly yesterday, on the second day of his visit to shore up Beijing’s relationship with Hanoi after the Southeast Asian nation recently elevated its ties with Japan and the United States.

Xi met with Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on Tuesday, and they announced that China and Vietnam would work toward a “community with a shared future,” in what was seen as a diplomatic concession by Vietnam to Beijing.

Vietnam has resisted using that phrase in the past but wanted to assuage Beijing’s concerns after Vietnam designated both the U.S. and Japan as “comprehensive strategic partners” in recent months, a designation it uses for China. The status is Vietnam’s highest official designation for a diplomatic relationship.

Xi referenced the phrase again yesterday in a meeting with National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

“In the next stage, both sides need to strengthen cooperation in various fields, including legislation, to contribute to the building of the community with a shared future,” Xi said.

Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, cited by the Associated Press, said the rhetorical concession from Hanoi “doesn’t mean Vietnam supports China-led political initiatives, but rather (is) a delicate act of hedging, particularly after its upgrade with the U.S. and Japan recently.”

“I think the move is expected given the fact that Xi came to Hanoi in person,” Nguyen said.

Xi also met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Vo Van Thuong yesterday and will end his trip after meeting with young Vietnamese and Chinese scholars.

Vietnam and China already have robust ties, but they also have points of difference, primarily over territorial claims over islands in the South China Sea.

China has been Vietnam’s largest trading partner for several years, with a bilateral trade turnover of $175.6 billion in 2022. Imports from China, including crucial inputs for Vietnam’s manufacturing sector, make up 67%, according to Vietnam customs data cited by Vietnamese state media.

Vietnam supports

building global community

Echoing previous comments from President Xi, Hanoi supports Beijing on the initiative to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

A joint statement issued by China and Vietnam yesterday announced a mutual agreement supporting the development of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.

According to Xinhua News Agency, these proposals and initiatives are aimed at safeguarding the common interests of humanity and committed to promoting peace, justice and the cause of progress for people of the world, reflecting the aspiration of people from all countries to build a better world.

China and Vietnam agree that the development of relations among countries should conform to the UN Charter, international law, and basic norms governing international relations, it said.

Countries should uphold mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and resolve differences through peaceful means, the statement added, as cited by Xinhua.  MDT/Agencies