Xi Jinping Meets Vietnamese General Secretary, Calls for Joint Opposition to Unilateralism

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Vietnam Communist Party General Secretary and President To Lam, who is on a state visit to China, and emphasized the need to jointly oppose unilateralism while calling for continued cooperation between the two countries.

President Xi Jinping of China and General Secretary and President of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

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According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on April 15, President Xi held a summit with General Secretary Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing that morning. During the meeting, he said, "I hope to maintain our original aspirations and friendship with Vietnam, and to continue unity, cooperation, and mutual support."

He especially congratulated General Secretary Lam on his inauguration as President of Vietnam, stating, "The fact that your first overseas trip after being elected President is to China demonstrates your commitment to the development of China-Vietnam relations." He also emphasized, "Safeguarding the socialist system and the ruling status of the Communist Party is the greatest shared interest of both parties in China and Vietnam," and called for accelerating the establishment of a "strategic community of shared destiny."

President Xi stressed the need for joint opposition to unilateralism and protectionism, as well as the importance of maintaining a stable and smooth flow in the global free trade system and industrial and supply chains-effectively highlighting the necessity of a coordinated response aimed at the United States.

President Xi also underscored cooperation in advanced technology sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and the Internet of Things (IoT), in addition to traditional infrastructure connectivity in the economic sphere. To promote people-to-people exchanges, he proposed designating 2026-2027 as the "China-Vietnam Year of Tourism Cooperation."

In response, President Lam stated, "For Vietnam, developing relations with China is both an objective necessity and a strategic choice, and it is the highest priority."

He reaffirmed support for the "One China" policy and expressed hope for high-level cooperation in infrastructure, including railways, as well as in trade and investment.

He also said, "We hope to strengthen regional cooperation, better manage land borders, and maintain peace at sea," indirectly referring to the management of conflicts in the South China Sea.

Immediately following the summit, the two countries signed a number of memorandums of understanding (MOUs) covering a wide range of areas, including supply chain cooperation, customs, judicial matters, and media.

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