Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday pledged to deepen ties with Vietnam and called for joint resistance to “unilateralism and protectionism” in talks with Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary and President To Lam, who chose China for his first state visit since taking office.
“No matter how the surrounding situation changes, China has always regarded Vietnam as a priority in its neighboring country diplomacy,” Xi said at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, according to state news agency Xinhua. He urged Hanoi to “maintain its original intention, continue its friendship, unite and cooperate, and support each other.”
Xi congratulated To on his inauguration as Vietnam’s president and said his decision to visit Beijing first underscored “the importance attached to the development of China-Vietnam relations.”
Framing the relationship in ideological terms, Xi said “safeguarding the socialist system and the ruling position of the Communist Party is the greatest common interest of both the Chinese and Vietnamese parties,” and called for accelerating the building of a “strategic community with a shared future” based on strengthened political trust.
On economic ties, Xi urged the two sides to move beyond traditional infrastructure connectivity and expand cooperation in high-tech sectors, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors and the Internet of Things. He proposed designating 2026–2027 as the “Year of China-Vietnam Tourism Cooperation” to boost people-to-people exchanges.
Without naming the United States, Xi said Beijing and Hanoi “must jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism and maintain the stable and smooth flow of the global free trade system and industrial and supply chains,” in a thinly veiled reference to Washington’s trade and technology restrictions.
To, for his part, described relations with Beijing as central to Hanoi’s foreign policy. “For Vietnam, the development of relations with China is an objective requirement, a strategic choice, and a top priority,” he was quoted as saying.
He reaffirmed Vietnam’s adherence to the “One China” policy and voiced hope for stepped-up cooperation in infrastructure, particularly railways, as well as in trade and investment.
Touching on maritime and border issues, To said Vietnam wanted to “strengthen regional cooperation to better manage land borders and maintain peace at sea,” an indirect reference to managing tensions in the South China Sea, where the two countries have overlapping claims.
Following the summit, the two sides signed a series of memorandums of understanding covering areas such as supply chain cooperation, customs, judicial affairs and media, Xinhua reported, without providing further details.
Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan hosted an official welcoming ceremony for To and his wife at the Great Hall of the People, including the playing of both national anthems and a 21-gun salute, treating the Vietnamese leader as a full state guest, the agency said.
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