Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of China, during the official welcome ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photos Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Tô Lâm hosted an official welcome ceremony for General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping at the Presidential Palace in Hà Nội on Monday afternoon, with the highest protocol reserved for a head of state.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and China's top leader Xi Jinping review the guards of honour at the welcome ceremony.

Welcoming the top Chinese leader at the ceremony were high-ranking officials of Việt Nam, including Trần Cẩm Tú, Politburo member, Permanent member of the Party Central Committee (PCC)’s Secretariat; Lê Minh Hưng, Politburo member, Secretary of the PCC, and Chairman of the PCC’s Organisation Commission; Nguyễn Trọng Nghĩa, Politburo member, Secretary of the PCC and Chairman of its Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation; Đỗ Văn Chiến, Politburo member, Secretary of the PCC and President of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee; and General Phan Văn Giang, Politburo member, Minister of National Defence; General Lương Tam Quang, Politburo member and Minister of Public Security; Lê Hoài Trung, Secretary of the PCC and Chief of the PCC Office; Trần Lưu Quang, Secretary of the PCC and Chairman of its Commission for Polices and Strategies; Võ Thị Ánh Xuân, member of the PCC and Vice State President; Bùi Thanh Sơn, member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Trần Quang Phương, member of the PCC, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly and President of the Việt Nam-China Frienship Parliamentary Group, among others.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping greets Việt Nam's high-ranking leaders at the welcome ceremony.

A 21-canon salute was fired from the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel, the highest protocol reserved for a head of state.

Following the official welcome ceremony, Party General Secretary Tô Lâm held talks with Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping.

The top Chinese leader’s state visit is a significant political and diplomatic event for both Parties and countries, carrying strategic importance and long-term impact on the development of the bilateral relations, especially as both nations are entering a new era of development.

This trip marks Xi’s fourth visit to Việt Nam as China’s top Party and State leader, and his second during his current term.

Notably, the trip takes place during the Việt Nam-China Year of Humanistic Exchanges in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations (1950–2025).

Since the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership in 2008, especially following the historic visits by top leaders of the two Parties and countries in recent years, the bilateral relations have seen strong, comprehensive, and remarkable progress across various fields. — VNA/VNS

Vietnamese, Chinese top leaders at the welcome ceremony in Hà Nội.

Vietnamese and Chinese leaders waved to the people as they moved from the Presidential Palace to the headquarters of the Party Central Committee.

The motorcade for Chinese top leader Xi Jinping passed Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum on the way to the Presidential Palace.