SANN News
China’s President Xi Jinping paid tribute to Vietnam’s late revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh on his last day of a trip to Hanoi, which President Donald Trump said was aiming to “screw” the United States. Xi is in Vietnam as part of a Southeast Asia tour that will include Malaysia and Cambodia, with Beijing trying to position itself as a stable alternative to Trump as leaders confront US tariffs.
China and Vietnam signed 45 cooperation agreements on Monday, including on supply chains, artificial intelligence, joint maritime patrols, and railway development. Xi said their countries were “standing at the turning point of history… and should move forward with joint hands.”
On the final day of his visit, Xi laid a red wreath emblazoned with his name and the words “Long live Vietnam’s great leader President Ho Chi Minh” at the late leader’s mausoleum in central Hanoi. He is also due to attend the launch of the Vietnam-China Railway Cooperation, which will help manage an $8-billion rail project to link Vietnam’s largest northern port city to the border with China.
Xi’s trip comes almost two weeks after the United States imposed a 46% levy on Vietnamese goods as part of a global tariff blitz. Although the US tariffs on Vietnam and most other countries have been paused, China still faces enormous levies and is seeking to tighten regional trade ties and offset their impact during Xi’s first overseas trip of the year.
China and Vietnam, both ruled by communist parties, already share a “comprehensive strategic partnership”, Hanoi’s highest diplomatic status. Vietnam has long pursued a “bamboo diplomacy” approach, striving to stay on good terms with both China and the United States.
