Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday (December 12th) for the first time in six years for a two-day state visit aimed at countering the growing influence of the United States over the Southeast Asian country.
Xi will meet with the head of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, who strengthened the country's diplomatic ties with Washington on the occasion of US President Joe Biden's visit in September.
Biden's visit was part of a U.S. campaign around the world to contain China's growing economic power and secure the supply of critical materials needed for its high-tech industry.
Speaking after arriving at Hanoi airport, Xi said he would hold talks with Vietnamese leaders on "comprehensive and strategic issues and the direction of the bilateral relationship, as well as international and regional issues of common concern, so as to take our relationship to a new stage," according to Chinese state media.
Bamboo Diplomacy
Vietnam has long favored "bamboo diplomacy," a flexible policy striving to remain on good terms with both powers. It shares U.S. concerns about Beijing's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, but it also has close economic ties with China, with which it shares a border and is also ruled by a Communist Party.
Hanoi and Beijing already share a comprehensive strategic partnership, Vietnam's highest diplomatic status. Vietnam and the U.S. moved to the same level in September. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the visit will focus on "strengthening China-Vietnam relations." Xi could push for Vietnam to join its "Common Destiny Community," a vaguely defined term that refers to a vision of future economic, security and political cooperation.
In an article published in Vietnam's Nhan Dan newspaper on Tuesday, Xi Jinping said that "the future of Asia is not in the hands of anyone but Asians." The agenda of the Chinese leader's trip includes "politics, security, practical cooperation, public opinion formation, multilateral issues and maritime issues," he said. On Tuesday morning, Chinese and Vietnamese flags lined the route Xi will take from the airport to the presidential palace, where he will receive the salute from the 21 cannons. A few dozen flag-waving people gathered outside the JW Marriott hotel where Xi is expected to stay.
Tensions in the South China Sea
On Wednesday, the Chinese leader will hold talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Vo Van Thuong, and visit the mausoleum of revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh. The visit comes amid heightened tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, following clashes between the two countries' ships on reefs in recent days. Manila said it summoned the Chinese ambassador on Monday and raised the possibility of deporting him.
Vietnam, along with Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, also has claims in the South China Sea that rival Beijing's. Over the past decade, China has stepped up its land reclamation work in the South China Sea, creating militarized islands with airstrips, ports and radar systems.
During Biden's visit, Vietnam and the US warned in a joint statement against "threats or use of force" in the South China Sea. Hanoi said it was upset by the publication in September of a new official Chinese map showing its sovereignty over almost all of the shipping area, which is a key artery of global trade.
Like Joe Biden in September, Xi Jinping may seek closer cooperation on rare earth minerals used in the high-tech industry, analysts say. U.S. chip giant Nvidia wants to establish a base in Vietnam to develop its semiconductor industry, its CEO was quoted as saying by the Vietnamese government on Sunday night. Vietnamese state-controlled media reported last month that China's China Rare Earth Group was seeking a collaboration with Vietnamese mining giant Vinacomin.