Xi Jinping arrives in Vietnam to boost political, trade ties amid US tariffs
Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on Monday in his first overseas trip of the year as part of an effort to cement stronger strategic ties in Southeast Asia amid an escalating trade war with the US.
He was received at the airport by senior Vietnamese officials including President Luong Cuong. Xi was accompanied on the trip by Cai Qi, his chief of staff who ranks No 5 in the Politburo, as well as Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to state news agency Xinhua. Defense minister Dong Jun and commerce minister Wang Wentao were also in the Chinese delegation, according to Vietnam News Agency.
Vietnam, which is one of the key routes for Chinese exports to reach the US, was last week hit with one of the highest US tariffs – 46 per cent. Hanoi and Washington agreed to negotiate after Trump announced a 90-day pause in the levies on all countries except China.