Chinese President Xi Jinping leaves Hanoi

Xi and his wife arrived at Noi Bai Airport just after 5:00 p.m. to depart. Prior to this, they, together with Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his spouse, met with intellectuals and youth representatives from both Vietnam and China.

Xi and his wife were seen off at Noi Bai airport by Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (front row, right) bids farewell to China’s General Secretary and President Xi Jinping and his wife on Dec. 13, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

Xi paused briefly to interact and exchange handshakes with onlookers gathered to bid him farewell prior to embarking. Earlier on Wednesday, Xi had visited the Mausoleum to honor President Ho Chi Minh.

Subsequently, Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong held talks with the Chinese leader, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Hue also met with Xi.

Vietnam and China issued a joint statement on continuing to deepen and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, while building a Vietnam-China community for sharing the future, which holds strategic meaning and strives for the happiness of the people of both countries, for the sake of humanity’s peace and progress.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue bids farewell to General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping at the base of the aircraft stairs on Dec. 13, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

Xi Jinping, accompanied by his wife, commenced a two-day state visit to Vietnam on Tuesday noon. This visit marks his third to Vietnam as China’s Party General Secretary and President, following earlier visits in 2015 and 2017.

The formal state reception for Xi was held on Tuesday afternoon at the Presidential Palace, hosted by Trong and featuring a 21-gun salute. Post-discussions, the two leaders oversaw the signing of 36 collaborative agreements spanning various sectors. They also participated in a tea gathering.

During the trip, First Lady Peng visited the Vietnamese Women’s Museum and interacted with students at Vietnam National University in Hanoi.

General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, waves to the crowd while boarding a plane for departure from Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport on Dec. 13, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

China is Vietnam’s largest trade partner for several consecutive years, while Vietnam is China’s largest partner in ASEAN. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached $175.6 billion last year, with Vietnam’s exports reaching $57.7 billion and imports reaching $117.87 billion, according to Vietnam Customs.

Cumulatively, until Oct. 20, China had ranked sixth among 143 countries and territories with FDI in Vietnam, with 4,105 active projects and a total registered capital at over $26.5 billion.