China’s Xi urges greater cooperation with Vietnam

BEIJING, Jan 26 (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping sought to strengthen ties with Vietnam in a call to its newly re-appointed leader, according to Chinese state media on Monday, saying the two nations should enhance cooperation in regional and international affairs.

The call was the first between the two leaders since To Lam was unanimously reappointed as head of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party for the next five years last Friday.

Xi, in a congratulatory message to Lam, described the two nations as a “community with a shared future” and said Beijing was willing to strengthen communications with Hanoi.

“China and Vietnam should stay the course and remain unwavering in their aspirations, working together to advance development,” Chinese state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as saying.

The two communist-ruled states have a long history of mistrust and territorial disputes, including over South China Sea boundaries, although their Communist parties have remained officially close.

Xi urged Lam to “jointly oppose hegemonism and bloc confrontation”, state media reported, although he did not mention any particular country.

China and the U.S. reached a one-year tariff truce following talks between Xi and President Donald Trump in South Korea last October, although the average U.S. duties on Chinese exports still stands at 47.5%.

Vietnam has in recent years deepened engagement with Washington. Last year it pledged to cut tariffs on several U.S. products and moved to approve Starlink services, part of efforts to stave off U.S. levies due to its large bilateral trade surplus.

Trump’s administration has accused Vietnam of serving as a transshipment point for Chinese goods.

In Monday’s call, Xi said the two sides must “strengthen confidence, uphold fundamental principles while advancing innovation, and guard against and defuse various risks and challenges”.

(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom, Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Sharon Singleton)