Xi's first overseas visits this year are of great significance: spokesperson

The upcoming visits by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia are his first trips abroad this year and hold significant importance for the overall development of China's relations with the three countries and ASEAN as a whole, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

Spokesperson Lin Jian told a daily press briefing that the visits are also expected to inject new momentum for peace and development in the region and the world at large.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, will pay a state visit to Vietnam from April 14 to 15, at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Luong Cuong.

President Xi will also pay state visits to Malaysia and Cambodia from April 15 to 18, at the invitation of King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim and King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia.

Lin said China prioritizes its diplomatic efforts in its neighboring regions, emphasizing that China and Southeast Asia share a common destiny as good neighbors, good friends, and good partners.

Recently, a central conference on work related to neighboring countries was successfully held, making it clear that China will continue to follow the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy, and join hands with neighboring countries to foster friendly cooperation, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and promote joint development and revitalization, Lin noted.

China and Vietnam are friendly socialist neighbors and are both advancing reform and innovation in line with their national conditions, Lin said, adding that strengthening unity and cooperation serves the common interests of both sides.

During the visit, Xi will hold talks with General Secretary To Lam and meet with President Luong Cuong, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Tran Thanh Man, according to Lin.

The Chinese side looks forward to seizing this opportunity to strengthen the traditional friendship of "comrades and brothers" between China and Vietnam, enhance strategic mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, and promote the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, Lin said.

China and Malaysia, both important developing countries and emerging economies in the Asia-Pacific region, have seen their relations maintain high-level development over the past years, guided by the strategic vision of their leaders, Lin said. In 2023, the two sides reached important consensus on jointly building a China-Malaysia community with a shared future, ushering in a new historical stage in bilateral relations.

This visit to Malaysia by President Xi comes roughly 12 years after his previous visit, marking a major milestone in China-Malaysia relations, Lin said. During the visit, Xi will meet with King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim and hold talks with Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

China looks forward to taking this visit as an opportunity to further strengthen political and security cooperation between the two countries, deepen the alignment of development strategies, enhance cultural exchanges, and improve coordination on international and regional issues, Lin added.

Noting that Cambodia is China's traditionally friendly neighbor and ironclad friend, Lin said under the strategic guidance of the two countries' leaders, the China-Cambodia community with a shared future has entered a new era of high quality, high level and high standard.

During the visit, President Xi will meet separately with King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia and his mother, former Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, as well as with Cambodian Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen, who is also president of the Cambodian People's Party. Xi will also hold talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, according to Lin.

The two sides will explore the new positioning of China-Cambodia relations and exchange in-depth views on five major areas: political mutual trust, mutually beneficial cooperation, security assurance, people-to-people exchanges and strategic coordination, Lin added.