Leaders of China and Vietnam pledge to strengthen political and economic ties

Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — The leaders of China and Vietnam have pledged to further their economic ties and gave a nod to their shared communist ideology during the first visit by Vietnam’s new president to Beijing. To Lam, who took office in May, made China the destination of his first state visit, signaling the continuing importance the Southeast Asian nation places on its giant neighbor despite ongoing territorial frictions in the South China Sea. Chinese President Xi Jinping remarked on the “deep friendship” between Vietnam and China and said Vietnam was a priority for Beijing’s “neighborhood diplomacy.” Lam said that the relationship with China was the top priority of Vietnam’s foreign policy.