General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong welcomes General Secretary and President Xi Jinping

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong chaired the welcoming ceremony for General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping on a state visit to Vietnam on December 12-13.

• The motorcade escorting the Chinese President moves to the Presidential Palace.

  

  The motorcade escorting Mr. Xi Jinping and his wife passed through the Tran Duy Hung - Nguyen Chi Thanh overpass. Photo: Luong Dung

  

  The motorcade escorting Mr. Xi Jinping and his wife moves on Nguyen Thai Hoc street. Photo: Gia Chinh

• The Vietnam People's Army Honor Guard enters the Presidential Palace

  

  Soldiers of the Vietnam People's Army's honor guard carrying flags and guns enter the Presidential Palace to serve the welcoming ceremony. Photo: Giang Huy

  The welcoming ceremony will take place this afternoon at the Presidential Palace, with the most solemn rituals. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrived at Noi Bai airport at 12 noon today, starting their state visit to Vietnam.

  

  View of the Presidential Palace before the welcoming ceremony on the afternoon of December 12. Photo: Giang Huy

  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived at the airport to welcome President Xi Jinping. Also attending the welcoming ceremony at the airport were Head of the Central Internal Affairs Commission Phan Dinh Trac, Head of the Central External Relations Commission Le Hoai Trung, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Head of the Office of the President Le Khanh Hai, and Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh.

  

  Children holding Vietnamese and Chinese flags gather on the steps of the Presidential Palace. Photo: Giang Huy

  This is Xi Jinping’s third visit to Vietnam as General Secretary and President of China. This activity is considered a very important opportunity for the top leaders of the two Parties to maintain and enhance strategic exchanges in the new situation.

  

  General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrived at Noi Bai airport at noon on December 12. Photo: Ngoc Thanh

  Also joining the delegation were Mr. Thai Ky, member of the Politburo Standing Committee, Secretary of the Secretariat, Chief of the Central Office; Mr. Wang Yi, member of the Politburo, Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Foreign Minister, and other senior Chinese officials.

  During the visit, the two sides are expected to sign dozens of important cooperation documents in areas such as Party channel cooperation, national defense and security, cooperation between relevant agencies and localities, justice, communications, connecting development strategies, trade and investment, digital economy, green development, import and export of agricultural products, irrigation and maritime cooperation.

  

  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomes General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping at Noi Bai airport. Photo: Nhat Bac

  Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu said the documents expected to be signed will create an important foundation for agencies, localities, people and businesses of the two countries to implement more effective cooperation in the coming time. He also expected that Vietnam-China relations will reach a "new level", with many substantive results from President Xi Jinping's visit.

  Vnexpress.net