General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with his wife will arrive in Hanoi today [December 12], marking their third visit to Vietnam in eight years.

This would be the third visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Vietnam. Source: VNA

The state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife to Vietnam will take place on December 12-13, marking Mr. Xi's third visit to the country as General Secretary and President of China, following visits in 2015 and 2017. This event is seen as an important opportunity for the top leaders of the two Parties to maintain and strengthen strategic exchanges in the current context. Several important cooperation agreements are expected to be signed during the visit, covering various areas such as Party-to-Party collaboration, national security and defense,  inter-agency and inter-local cooperation, justice, communications, and international relations.

These agreements aim to link development strategies, strengthen economic relations, encourage investment, promote the digital economy, support green development, facilitate the import and export of agricultural products,  and foster maritime cooperation.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu expected the visit to bring Vietnam-China relations to a "new level," yielding practical results. The anticipated signed documents will lay an important foundation for effective collaboration between the two countries' agencies, localities, people, and businesses in the future, he noted.

Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai said that the visit will add momentum to the relationship, especially as Vietnam and China are celebrating the 15th anniversary of establishing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Cooperation. He emphasized that Vietnam is prepared to extend a "special welcome, full of friendship and brotherly comradeship" to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo assessed that transportation infrastructure, especially railways and highways, could be a priority area for discussion during the visit, considering the progress of the Hekou, Van Nam - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway project.

Stressing that China and Vietnam are emerging economies and prominent developing countries,  Ambassador Xiong Bo noted that the two countries' solidarity and cooperation can bring stability to the development of the region and the world, and contribute to maintaining peace, stability, and development.

Chinese media highlighted President Xi Jinping's visit to Vietnam,  saying it would strengthen mutual political trust between the two countries and promote mutually beneficial cooperation.

China has consistently been Vietnam's largest trading partner, and Vietnam is China's primary partner in ASEAN. In 2022, the total bilateral trade turnover reached $175.6 billion, with Vietnam's exports at $57.7 billion and imports at $117.87 billion, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

As of October 20, China ranked sixth among 143 countries and territories investing in FDI in Vietnam, with 4,105 valid projects and a total registered capital exceeding $26.5 billion.