China and Vietnam have a shared future, President Xi Jinping says in Lunar New Year note to fellow communist leader
- Xi Jinping, who is also chief of the Chinese Communist Party, has greeted Vietnamese party counterpart Nguyen Phu Trong ahead of the Lunar New Year
- Pledge to deepen ‘comrades and brothers’ relationship comes as China’s ties with the West, especially the US, remain tense
The promise from Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China, came in a letter to his Vietnamese party counterpart Nguyen Phu Trong on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year, which is observed by both countries.
“We will work with the Vietnam side to further integrate bilateral development strategies, enhance all round cooperation, and increase communication and coordination on international and regional affairs,” Xi was quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency as saying.
This comes as China’s s relations with the West, and the United States in particular, remain tense.
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Xi Jinping says China will build stable supply chain with Vietnam
Points of contention have ranged from Washington’s support for Taiwan, attempts to thwart China’s technological advancement, by squeezing hi-tech chip access, for instance, and to reduce the Chinese role in global supply chains by teaming up with southeast Asian and other allies.
Their similar ideological past, political structure and economic development model have warmed ties between China and Vietnam, despite a border war four decades ago and lingering territorial disputes in the South China Sea.