Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Vietnam’s newly reappointed Communist Party leader To Lam, calling for closer cooperation between the two countries on regional and global issues, according to Chinese state media on Monday.
The phone call marked the first direct contact between the two leaders since Lam was unanimously confirmed last Friday to serve another five year term as general secretary of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party.
In a congratulatory message delivered during the call, Xi described China and Vietnam as a “community with a shared future” and said Beijing was ready to expand communication and coordination with Hanoi, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.
“China and Vietnam should stay the course and remain unwavering in their aspirations, working together to advance development,” Xi said, according to the report.
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Xi also urged both sides to strengthen political trust and deepen cooperation in regional and international affairs, while guarding against emerging risks and external challenges.
China and Vietnam are both governed by communist parties and maintain close official ties, though their relationship has been shaped by historical mistrust and unresolved territorial disputes, particularly in the South China Sea.
Despite those tensions, party to party engagement has remained steady, with both governments emphasizing stability and cooperation in public messaging.
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During the call, Xi urged the two countries to “jointly oppose hegemonism and bloc confrontation,” Chinese media said, without naming any specific nation.
The outreach comes as Vietnam continues to strengthen economic and diplomatic engagement with the United States, even as it manages its complex relationship with Beijing.
China and the United States reached a one year tariff truce after talks between Xi and President Donald Trump in South Korea last October. However, average US tariffs on Chinese exports remain at about 47.5 percent, according to trade data cited by Reuters.
Vietnam, which runs a large trade surplus with the United States, has moved to reduce tariffs on selected US goods and recently approved Starlink services as part of efforts to ease trade tensions with Washington.
The Trump administration has accused Vietnam of serving as a transshipment route for Chinese goods seeking to avoid US duties, an allegation Hanoi has previously rejected.
Xi’s call to Lam signals Beijing’s intent to reinforce party level ties with Hanoi as regional competition intensifies and trade pressures persist.
