At the invitation of General Secretary To Lam and President Luong Cuong, Mr. Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Vietnam from April 14 to 15. This marks the first time since the normalization of diplomatic ties that a Chinese President and General Secretary has made five visits to Vietnam.

This will be Xi Jinping’s second state visit to Vietnam during his third term as General Secretary and President of China.

His first visit took place in December 2011, when he was China’s Vice President. As President and General Secretary, Xi Jinping has since returned to Vietnam in 2015, 2017, and 2023.

December 2011

In December 2011, at the invitation of Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping made an official visit to Vietnam. The trip occurred just two months after Vietnam’s General Secretary had visited China.

This visit played a significant role in strengthening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two Parties and nations. During his three-day stay, Xi Jinping met with key Vietnamese leaders.

November 2015

In November 2015, Xi Jinping visited Vietnam as China’s President and General Secretary at the invitation of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Truong Tan Sang. The visit coincided with the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

During the visit, Xi held talks with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung.

In their joint statement, both sides pledged to maintain and build upon their friendship, emphasizing a guiding principle of “friendly neighbors, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability, and future orientation,” along with the spirit of “good neighbors, good friends, good comrades, and good partners.”

Xi also delivered a speech before the Vietnamese National Assembly, making him the second Chinese leader to do so, after former President Hu Jintao.

November 2017

In November 2017, Xi Jinping returned to Vietnam for another state visit and to attend the APEC Summit in Da Nang. This was his first overseas trip following the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

During the visit, Xi held talks with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and met with Vietnam’s top leaders. The two sides agreed to address outstanding issues and further deepen their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Xi and Nguyen Phu Trong visited the Ho Chi Minh stilt house historical site, where they strolled together and enjoyed tea.

Xi also met with President Tran Dai Quang and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, with whom he attended the inauguration of the Vietnam - China Friendship Palace and the Chinese Cultural Center in Vietnam.

December 2023

On December 12-13, 2023, Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan made a state visit to Vietnam. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed them at Noi Bai Airport.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hosted an official welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace. The two leaders reflected on the development of bilateral relations and affirmed that the traditional bond of comradeship and brotherhood is a precious asset of both nations, one that must be continually nurtured and advanced.

Together, they reviewed 36 cooperation agreements signed across various ministries, departments, and localities, reflecting the breadth and depth of achievements during the visit.

Xi Jinping also met again with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to promote strategic exchanges, strengthen national defense and security cooperation, and deepen high-level ties.

The Chinese delegation paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum, and later, Xi and Peng Liyuan joined General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his wife for a warm and friendly cultural exchange with nearly 400 representatives from both countries, including youth and friendship groups.

The visit concluded with Xi and his wife waving farewell before boarding their plane.

Tran Thuong - Hoang Ha - Pham Hai