China’s Xi Jinping begins first overseas trip of year with Vietnam visit

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) - Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Vietnam's capital Hanoi on Monday, beginning a three-nation tour of Southeast Asia and marking his first overseas trip of 2025, according to Chinese state media.

This also represents Xi's fourth visit to Vietnam since becoming secretary general of the Chinese Communist Party in October 2022.

Following his two-day state visit to Vietnam, Xi will travel to Malaysia at the invitation of King Sultan Ibrahim, and will conclude his tour on Friday with a visit to Cambodia, hosted by King Norodom Sihamoni.

The trip comes amid growing regional friction and a raging trade war with the United States, with both economic powerhouses engaged in retaliatory tariffs.

China has remained Vietnam’s largest trading partner for over two decades, with bilateral trade surpassing $260 billion last year.

In a statement ahead of his arrival in Hanoi, Xi emphasized diplomacy and regional cooperation.

"We should properly manage differences and safeguard peace and stability in our region," he said. "The successful delimitation of our boundaries on land and in the Beibu Gulf demonstrates that with vision, we are fully capable of properly settling maritime issues through consultation and negotiation."

While China has strong economic ties with all three nations, it also has competing maritime claims with both Vietnam and Malaysia, as well as with other ASEAN member states in the disputed South China Sea, a longstanding flashpoint in regional security.