China's Xi visits Vietnam in bid to counter US

China and Vietnam pledged to deepen ties during President Xi Jinping's first visit in six years. Xi met the leader of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, on the first day of his trip.

China and Vietnam said in a joint statement that they would "continue to deepen and increase bilateral relations". The two countries agreed to build a "community with a shared future" and said the visit was an "historic landmark in bilateral ties, contributing to peace and stability and development in the region and the world". The two countries signed more than 30 agreements, including a pledge to develop rail links between Vietnam and China.