Advertisement
China’s Xi Jinping calls on Vietnam to deploy ‘political wisdom’ to manage ties
- National Assembly chairman Vuong Dinh Hue makes a ‘highly symbolic’ trip to Beijing as tensions rise in the South China Sea
- Hue is the first senior Vietnamese leader to visit since the downfall of the country’s president
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
36
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Hanoi to use “political wisdom” in handling ties with Beijing, as the two countries seek to overcome tensions in the South China Sea.
Xi made the call on Monday during a meeting in Beijing with Vuong Dinh Hue, chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, who is in China on a six-day visit that started on Sunday.
Hue is the first senior Vietnamese leader to visit China since the effective dismissal last month of the country’s No 2 leader and president, Vo Van Thuong, a trip that analysts said was “highly symbolic” and underlined the special relationship between the socialist neighbours despite their maritime dispute.
Advertisement
China is at odds with various neighbours over its claims to the South China Sea. Just as Hue’s trip got under way, tensions between Beijing and Manila reignited with the Philippines’ participation in a drill with the United States, Japan and Australia. Those manoeuvres coincided with “joint naval and air combat patrols in the South China Sea” by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theatre Command.
01:48
Vietnam’s president Vo Van Thuong quits after just one year
Vietnam’s president Vo Van Thuong quits after just one year
According to state news agency Xinhua, Xi hailed Beijing’s ties with Hanoi as “comrades-plus-brothers” and said an agreement to build a “community with a shared future” – a commitment made during the Chinese president’s state visit to Vietnam in December – “opened a new chapter” in bilateral relations.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x