China, Vietnam Sign agreements after Xi Jinping's warning on protectionism

China and Vietnam signed dozens of cooperation agreements on Monday, strengthening the links between countries managed by the Communists after Chinese chief Xi Jinping warned that protectionism “leads anywhere” and that a trade war would have “no winning”.

XI is in Vietnam for the first stage of a tour in Southeast Asia, while Beijing tries to present itself as a stable alternative to an erratic American president Donald Trump, who announced – and then above all inverted – radical prices this month.

The Chinese president was welcomed Monday in Hanoi with a salute of 21 cannons, an honorary guard and rows of children acting in flag at the presidential palace, before speaking with the main leaders of Vietnam, including the secretary general of LAM.

The two neighbors signed around 40 cooperation agreements. Details were not immediately available, but before the visit, transactions were expected to be concluded in areas such as trade and aviation.

XI's visit comes almost two weeks after the United States – manufacturing the largest export market in Powerhouse Vietnam in the first three months of the year – slapped a 46% levy from Vietnamese products as part of a global commercial blitz.

Although the reciprocal prices on Vietnam and most other countries have been interrupted, China still faces huge samples and seeks to tighten regional business ties and compensate for their impact on the first trip abroad of XI of the year.

XI is in Vietnam on Monday and Tuesday, before visiting Malaysia and Cambodia during a tour which “is of major importance” for the wider region, said Beijing.

Speaking during a meeting with LAM on Monday, XI said that Vietnam and China “stood at the turn of history … and should go ahead with the joint hands”.

XI previously urged the two countries to “resolutely protect the multilateral trading system, industrial chains and stable global supply and an open and cooperative international environment”.

He also reiterated the Beijing line that a “trade war and pricing war will not produce any winner, and protectionism will lead anywhere” in an article published Monday in the main Nhan Dan newspaper in Vietnam.

The senior Vietnam leader against Lam said in an article published on the government's information portal on Monday that his country “was always ready to associate with China to make cooperation between the two more substantial, deep, balanced and sustainable countries.”

– “Bamboo diplomacy” –

Vietnam was the largest Chinese product buyer in Southeast Asia in 2024, with an invoice of $ 161.9 billion, followed by Malaysia with Chinese imports worth 101.5 billion dollars.

Refresh links with the neighbors of Southeast Asia could also help compensate for the impact of a closed heterogeneous, the largest beneficiary of Chinese products last year.

XI visits Vietnam for the first time since December 2023.

China and Vietnam, both governed by communist parties, already share a “full strategic partnership”, the highest diplomatic status in Hanoi.

Vietnam has long continued an approach to “bamboo diplomacy” – trying to stay in good condition with China and the United States.

The two countries have close economic ties, but Hanoi shares American concerns about the increased Beijing insurance in the disputed sea of ​​southern China.

China affirms almost the entire Sea of ​​Southern China like its own, but its assertions are disputed by the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei.

The Chinese chief insisted in his article on Monday that Beijing and Hanoi could resolve these disputes through dialogue.

“We must properly manage differences and protect peace and stability in our region,” wrote Xi.

“With the vision, we are fully able to properly solve maritime problems through consultation and negotiation,” he said.

Vietnam's LAM has declared in its article on the Government news portal that “joint efforts to control and satisfactorily resolve disagreements … is an important stabilization factor in the current international and unpredictable regional situation”.

After Vietnam, Xi will visit Malaysia from Tuesday to Thursday.

The Minister of Malaysian communications, Fahmi Fadzil, said that Xi's visit was “part of the government's efforts … to see better trade relations with various countries, including China”.

Xi will then go to Cambodia on Thursday, one of the most common allies in Southeast Asian China and where Beijing has extended its influence in recent years.

(With the exception of the title, this story has not been published by NDTV staff and is published from a unionized flow.)