Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and State President Lương Cường hosts a banquet in Hà Nội on April 14 in honour of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Tô Lâm and State President Lương Cường hosted a grand banquet in Hà Nội on Monday evening in honour of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China Xi Jinping, who is leading a high-ranking Chinese delegation on a state visit to Việt Nam from April 14-15.

In his address, Lâm highlighted the significance of Xi’s visit, which coincides with the 75th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and the Year of Việt Nam-China Humanistic Exchange.

He noted that Xi is the highest-ranking leader who has visited Việt Nam the most in history. This Xi's first overseas trip in 2025, showing the great importance and high priority the Chinese Party, State, and Xi personally place on Việt Nam and the bilateral relations.

Reflecting on history, Lâm recalled the solidarity between the two Parties, States, and people during their revolutionary struggles, marked by sincere and effective mutual support. Building on the legacy of President Hồ Chí Minh and Chairman Mao Zedong, successive generations of leaders have nurtured this relationship. Today, he said, their successors have ushered in a new era of development, elevating the bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and building a Việt Nam–China Community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

The host announced that both sides had held highly successful talks and reached broad consensus on key directions and measures to further strengthen Việt Nam-China relations, paving the way for a more substantive relationship in a new era of prosperity and development for both nations.

The fruitful discussions, alongside the shared perceptions reached during Xi’s meetings with State President Lương Cường, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, and National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn, have injected fresh momentum into the bilateral partnership, actively contributing to each country’s development goals and fulfilling the aspirations of the Vietnamese and Chinese people for a brighter future together.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the banquet. — VNA/VNS Photo

In a warm and friendly atmosphere, Lâm wished the state visit to Việt Nam by the Chinese Party and State leader a success. He also wished for the continued prosperity of both China and Việt Nam, and for ever-growing happiness of their people.

In his response, Xi expressed his gratitude for the warm and thoughtful welcome extended by the Party, Government, and people of Việt Nam. He praised Việt Nam’s development achievements, noting its stable political and social environment, rapid economic growth, improving living standards, and active and dynamic diplomacy.

He affirmed that Việt Nam is increasingly asserting its important role on the international arena. Xi expressed his confidence that, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, led by Lâm, the Vietnamese people will successfully achieve the goals set forth by the 13th National Party Congress, and steadily enter into a new era – the era of Việt Nam’s rise.

He emphasised that the Việt Nam–China relationship features traditional and fraternal relations, and this friendship bond continues to grow stronger. In recent years, the two sides have maintained strategic exchanges and jointly charted the course for the development of China–Việt Nam relations in the new era, ushering in a new phase of building a China–Việt Nam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

A performance at the banquet. — VNA/VNS Photo

The Chinese leader stated that, standing at a new historical starting point, China is willing to work with Việt Nam to stay true to the original aspiration of friendship and remain committed to their shared mission, closely follow the overall goal of the "six major orientations,” including higher political trust, more practical defence-security cooperation, deeper practical cooperation, more solid social foundation, closer multilateral coordination, and better control and settlement of disagreements; firmly promote the building of a China–Việt Nam community with a shared future; and join hands to follow the path of modernisation and socialism that brings many benefits to the people of the two countries. — VNS

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Vietnamese leaders arrive to the banquet. — VNA/VNS Photo