China’s President Xi Jinping lauded Beijing’s security and commercial ties with Vietnam on Tuesday, as he kicked off a state visit to a country that has become a critical global supply hub not only for western companies diversifying out of China but also for Chinese manufacturers. The trip, the Chinese president’s third since he became Communist party general secretary more than a decade ago, also sought to counter growing ties between the US and Vietnam, with president Joe Biden visiting the country in September.
“China has long been Vietnam’s largest trading partner, and Vietnam is China’s largest trading partner in Asean [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations],” Xi said in a “signed article” published in Vietnamese state media ahead of the visit and reported by China’s news agency Xinhua.
Xi also took pains to emphasise relations with China’s neighbour, despite their history of conflict. “Only when all countries develop together can they jointly build an Asian homeland of peace, tranquility, prosperity, beauty, and friendly coexistence,” Xinhua quoted him as saying.