Xi calls for closer ties with Vietnam

President Xi Jinping called on Monday for joint efforts by China and Vietnam to achieve more pragmatic outcomes in building a bilateral community with a shared future, as Beijing and Hanoi have ramped up high-level engagements in recent weeks for even closer partnerships.

Speaking during a meeting in Beijing with Vuong Dinh Hue, chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Xi urged both nations to fortify the bilateral community with a shared future by adopting high-level mutual trust, high-quality cooperation and high political wisdom.

He underlined that a shared path and a shared future are the hallmarks of China-Vietnam relations, and said that "comrades plus brothers" is the most vivid portrayal of the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Vietnamese ruling parties and the two countries.

The meeting between Xi and Hue came amid a series of high-level interactions between the two neighboring countries over the past month.

A Vietnamese delegation led by Le Hoai Trung, head of the Commission for External Relations of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, visited Beijing last month and met with senior Chinese officials.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son, on Thursday in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Wang also met with Tran Luu Quang, deputy prime minister of Vietnam, in Beijing on Monday.

Xi, who made a two-day state visit to Hanoi in December, told Hue that upholding the socialist system and maintaining national stability and development are in the common interest of China and Vietnam, as global and regional landscapes are undergoing profound and complex changes.

He highlighted Beijing's readiness to bolster the exchange of party and national governance experiences with Hanoi, saying that the coordinating role of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation should be amplified.

Xi urged quicker alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, adding that youth exchanges and exchanges between sister cities should be enriched.

He highlighted the need to deepen bilateral exchanges and cooperation between legislative bodies at various levels to strengthen mutual learning in lawmaking and oversight.

Hue, who is making his first visit to China as Vietnam's top legislator, lauded Beijing's push for the development of new quality productive forces as an innovative move of socialism that provides valuable references for Hanoi.

Vietnam firmly adheres to the one-China principle, views Taiwan as an inalienable part of the Chinese territory and is resolutely opposed to any form of "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, he said.

Hanoi adheres to an independent and self-reliant foreign policy, and considers Beijing as the foremost strategic choice in Vietnam's foreign relations, he said.

Hue reaffirmed Vietnam's commitment to strengthening high-level political mutual trust with China and actively promoting the alignment of the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy with the BRI.

He also held talks on Monday with Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

According to the General Administration of Customs, trade between China and Vietnam reached $229.8 billion in 2023, with China's imports from the Southeast Asian country growing 4.8 percent year-on-year to $92.18 billion.

Song Qingrun, a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University's School of Asian Studies, said the frequent high-level exchanges between China and Vietnam speak volumes about the strong political mutual trust between the countries.

"The development of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future has set out a top-level design for bilateral ties, and it is no surprise to see more content is being added to this robust relationship," he said.

Song highlighted the significance of both nations further tapping into the potential for cooperation in the areas of economy, trade, investment and infrastructure development.

"The fostering of new growth engines for cooperation will drive the economic growth of both nations," he said.

Meanwhile, keeping up the momentum of high-level exchanges will help the two neighbors better manage their differences and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, he added.