Chinese state and party leader Xi Jinping arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday for a state visit. China wants to integrate the communist state into its “community of destiny” – after Vietnam recently drew closer to Beijing’s arch-enemy.
Xi’s first visit to the Southeast Asian country in six years will include discussions on “politics, security, practical cooperation, public opinion formation, multilateral issues and maritime and maritime issues,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
Reaction to Biden’s visit
Xi’s visit aims to take bilateral ties to a new level. The main goal is to counter the growing US influence in Vietnam. Chinese and Vietnamese flags stood along the route from the airport to the center of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Tuesday. Dozens of flag-waving people gathered outside Xi’s hotel.
Xi will hold talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong on Wednesday. Xi will also lay a wreath at the mausoleum of revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh.
Xi’s ‘community of destiny’.
During the talks, the Chinese leader could push for Vietnam to join his self-described “community of humanity,” Xi’s vision for future cooperation on economics, security and political issues.
In an article published Tuesday in the Vietnamese newspaper Nhan Dan, Xi said that “Asia’s future lies in the hands of none other than Asians.”
The bamboo tactic
Vietnam and China already have a “comprehensive strategic partnership.” In September, Vietnam and the US also took their relations to the same diplomatic level during a visit by US President Joe Biden. Vietnam has long followed the approach of ‘bamboo diplomacy’: the communist-ruled country strives to maintain good relations with both superpowers.
Vietnam has close economic ties with China. At the same time, Hanoi also shares US concerns about Beijing’s increasing claims in the disputed South China Sea. Tensions there had recently increased. After the collision of a Chinese and a Philippine ship in the disputed sea area, the US called on China to stop its “dangerous and destabilizing behavior”.
Beijing rejects The Hague’s ruling
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea for itself. Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines also claim parts of the maritime area, which is of great strategic and economic importance to the neighboring states. The International Court of Arbitration in The Hague declared some of the Chinese claims unlawful in 2016. However, China does not recognize the ruling.
Source: Krone
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