The Hanoi visit slated for November 5-6 by President Xi Jinping is significant for Vietnam-China relations and the Southeast Asian country’s external affairs, the Vietnam News Agency said on Thursday.

The visit, made at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and State President Truong Tan Sang, is the Chinese Party and State leader’s first to Vietnam in nine years.

The Chinese leader, who is General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, and his wife will be welcomed by their Vietnamese hosts at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on Thursday afternoon, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

On the same day, General Secretary Trong and his Chinese counterpart Xi will hold talks, after which they will witness the signing of a number of cooperation agreements.

On Friday, the Chinese leader will meet with President Sang, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung.

President Xi is also scheduled to deliver a speech before the Vietnamese National Assembly on Friday, the Vietnamese foreign ministry said.   

Through the Chinese leader’s visit, Vietnam aims to continue to affirm its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralism and diversification, as well as its determination to develop ties with China on the basis of mutual respect, mutual benefits and equality, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

It will also protect its legitimate interests in the East Vietnam Sea based on international law and work with China to control disputes and maintain peace and stability in the sea, the news agency added.

The visit comes in the context that the two countries’ relations develop positively, which is reflected through regular meetings among senior leaders of the two nations, during which both sides agree on measures to be taken to improve bilateral ties.

So far this year, many activities to celebrate the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries have been organized, and cooperation activities between their ministries, sectors and localities have been strengthened.

Meanwhile, economic, trade and investment relations between Vietnam and China have also grown considerably, with two-way trade amounting to US$49 billion in the first nine months of 2015, up 16 percent year on year.

By the end of last year, China ranked ninth among the largest foreign investors in Vietnam, with a total investment of over $8.4 billion in 1,180 projects, the news agency reported.

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